


Don’t You Even Dare (Give Me That Come Back Stare)

by Spikedluv



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: Harlequinkradam, Community: Kradam Flashfic, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-31
Updated: 2012-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-02 19:35:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris Allen participates in a charity bachelor auction; Adam Lambert wins a date with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don’t You Even Dare (Give Me That Come Back Stare)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt #11: _charity_ at kradamflashfic (even though it turned out to be a lot less ‘flash’ than I thought it would be) and for harlequinkradam using the prompt: _Kris Allen agrees to participate in a charity bachelor auction because it’s for a good cause, but eyebrows are raised when the infamous Adam Lambert bids on him. When Adam wins the bidding, though, Kris is less concerned with his reputation and more with his virtue. Will either come away intact? More importantly, by the time Adam's done with him, will Kris care?_
> 
> Written: March 31, 2012

  


Kris Allen paced the otherwise empty green room, waiting for his turn to be auctioned off like a side of beef. He’d been scheduled to go last, which made him even more nervous than if he’d been able to just go out there and get it over with. Just as he was wishing for something to take his mind off his upcoming _most embarrassing moment ever_ David Archuleta stumbled through the door. Kris caught him before he fell.

“Archie, what happened? Are you okay?”

Archie shook his head and clutched at Kris’ arms. “Oh gosh, that was awful! I don’t know why I agreed to do this.”

Kris snorted. Archie had agreed to it for the same reason Kris had – Allison Iraheta and her darned puppy dog eyes were a lethal combination. The bachelor auction was for a good cause, but Kris would much rather have donated a huge chunk of money and his time rather than stand on a stage to be ogled and bid upon by rich women (and men). He was used to being on a stage, performing, but this was different. It was embarrassing!

And to be honest, Kris had a small fear that no one would bid on him. The auctioneer would be forced to offer him at decreasing amounts, practically begging someone to take him. It would be like those dreams where you showed up at an important meeting wearing just your underwear. Only worse.

“I need water,” Archie said, thankfully drawing Kris out of his thoughts.

Kris led Archie over to the nearest couch and then fetched him a bottle of water. He lowered himself to the couch beside Archie, frowning as Archie downed half the bottle in one go.

Once Archie lowered the bottle, Kris said, “Okay, now tell me what happened.”

“There was a bidding _war_ ,” Archie said, sounding mortified.

Kris pictured a determined wealthy matron duking it out with a group of sorority girls that had pooled their money. (Archie had an eclectic fan base.) It could have gotten pretty ugly.

“Well, that’s good, right?” Kris said, trying to look on the bright side. A bidding war meant more money for Allison’s charity.

Archie glared at him.

“I meant for the charity,” Kris said.

“They spent so much money. On _me_ ,” Archie moaned.

“How much . . . ?”

“Ten thousand dollars!” Archie blurted out.

“Holy crap!” Kris said without thinking.

“I _know_! How am I supposed to live up to _that_?”

“Hey,” Kris soothed. “Don’t get worked up over that. Whatever they spent was a donation for a good cause. The date with you is just an, uh, incentive. No matter whether they spent five hundred or, um, ten thousand, it’s just one date, right? You can do dinner and a show, no problem.”

“I guess, but . . . .”

“No buts,” Kris said. “Besides, I bet they think you were worth whatever they spent to win the date.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Archie wailed. “They’re going to be so disappointed!”

“That’s just nerves talking,” Kris said. “Hey, you haven’t told me yet who won the bidding war,” he said, trying to take Archie’s mind off the money. _His_ money was on the matron.

“David Cook,” Archie mumbled.

Kris couldn’t hide his surprise. Cook was a musician just like Archie, but they didn’t exactly hang out in the same circles.

“See? We have nothing in common. He’s going to be so _bored_.”

“He’s not going to be bored,” Kris reassured Archie. “There must be a reason he chose to bid on you. Maybe he’s got a crush,” Kris teased.

“David Cook would not have a crush on me!” Archie protested, blushing.

“You know what they say about opposites attracting,” Kris said, grinning.

Archie swatted at Kris, but at least he wasn’t dwelling on the upcoming date. A soft knock sounded, and then the door was slowly eased open. Speak of the devil, Kris thought as David Cook poked his head inside and glanced around the room until his eyes found Archie. A smile spread across Cook’s face and he stepped into the room. The smile remained on his face until he reached them, and then slowly faded when Archie just stared at him.

“Hi, I’m David Cook,” Cook said, but still Archie continued to stare at him, kind of like a deer caught in the headlights, Kris thought. “Um, they said I could come back here and meet you?”

“I think you broke him,” Kris offered when Archie still didn’t speak.

Cook glanced at Kris, then back at Archie when he finally spoke.

“Ten. Thousand. Dollars!” Archie’s voice squeaked at the end.

A grin spread across Cook’s face. “Worth every penny.”

Archie shook his head, but Kris saw the flush creeping up his neck. He had a feeling they’d be alright. And that his guess about Cook having a crush hadn’t been far off the mark.

Kris, on the other hand, was not going to be alright. Alexis Grace, Allison’s assistant, stood in the open doorway smirking and crooking her finger at him. Kris’ breath caught in his throat – he was up next. He forced himself to take a deep breath and follow Alexis to his fate.

~*~*~*~

“Ladies and gentleman,” Allison addressed the audience after she’d ushered the last sucker, er, bachelor off stage and confirmed that Kris stood waiting in the wings for his turn. (Kris had tried very hard not to imagine that he was being led to the gallows as Alexis led him to his doom.)

“Last up, but certainly not least, is Kris Allen!”

Alexis poked Kris in the back with a sharp finger as if she was afraid he might forget his cue. Kris stepped onto the stage and resisted the urge to reach up and rub the spot where Alexis’ very pointy finger had prodded him out of hiding. Kris moved to the center of the stage, where innocent looking masking tape marked his position. He had no idea what to do with his hands. He wiped his palms on the seat of his jeans, then stuffed his hands into the front pockets.

(Allison had tried to talk Kris out of wearing jeans, but he figured that whoever bid on him should know up front what they were getting – with Kris, what you saw was what you got. He’d agreed to the white button-down instead of his more comfortable t-shirts or Henleys, but had insisted on rolling up the sleeves.)

Allison finished her spiel extolling Kris’ virtues, which he’d somehow, thankfully, managed to tune out. Kris glanced over at Allison when she fell silent, preparing himself for what came next. The auction. Allison smiled at him. Too late Kris realized that it was her evil smile.

“Isn’t he _cute_ , everyone?”

If the applause and catcalls from the audience were any indication, they agreed with her. Kris figured they’d clearly partaken liberally from the bar and probably would have agreed to anything Allison said at this point. He rolled his eyes. Kris ducked his head when agreement to Allison’s comment turned to laughter and he realized that he’d just been caught doing that by every person in the room. Kris rubbed the back of his neck and gave Allison a sheepish smile.

“You’re forgiven, Kristopher,” Allison said, wagging a finger at Kris, a gesture that garnered more laughter. “And now, let’s turn things over to our auctioneer and see who’s going to win this bad boy.”

Kris tipped his head back and shook it at the ceiling. “Oh my god,” he said, though no one could hear him through the laughter filling the room. And it was a big room.

“Thank you, Allison,” Megan Joy said. She turned to the audience. “I hope you all saved some money for Kris Allen!”

Kris barely heard the applause that comment engendered. His heart sank as her words brought to mind his little nightmare scenario. He resisted the urge to check and make sure he was wearing more than underwear.

“Let’s begin the bidding at one thousand dollars. Do I hear one thousand?”

Kris forced a smile, not wanting to look like deer in the headlights he’d labeled Archie earlier. He tried to remember the pep talk he’d given Archie just minutes before, but he couldn’t recall a single word of it. Next time he was definitely going to tell Allison ‘no’, her puppy dog eyes be damned. Darned. And stick to it this time. He’d offer to put on a concert instead, all the proceeds going to her foundation. He could probably even get other musicians to join him, make it a really big deal, bring even more attention to the charity. He bet Archie would sign up in a heartbeat – because he had a big heart, and also because he wouldn’t want to be part of another bachelor auction. Though _his_ auction appeared to have worked out well. Kris, on the other hand . . . .

“Fifteen thousand,” a male voice called from the back of the banquet hall.

The entire room went silent.

“Fifteen thousand,” Megan repeated, tripping over the words before recovering nicely. “We have fifteen thousand, do I hear . . . .” She actually had to pause to clear her throat. “Fifteen thousand five hundred?”

Kris snapped his mouth closed, hoping no one had seen him gaping like a fish out of water. He pinched himself to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep in the green room and was having a very weird dream. Ow! He wasn’t. Kris tried to find the man that had bid on him, but the lights at the back of the room were dim, and he couldn’t remember exactly where the voice had come from, and no one was helpfully holding up a sign reading ‘I just bid $15,000 on Kris Allen’.

Kris tuned back in to hear Megan saying, “Going twice. Sold! For fifteen thousand.”

And just like that it was over. Except it wasn’t because Kris had no idea who had won him. Won a date. With him. For fifteen thousand dollars. Kris decided that he owed Archie a huge apology. He wondered if he should leave the stage, wondered for the first time about the logistics of finding out who had won him. Before he could exit stage right (otherwise known as running away and hiding) Allison crashed into him and gave him a hug that nearly toppled him.

“Oh my god!” she squealed. “That’s the most any of our bachelors brought! You even beat Archie, and I didn’t think anyone was going to be able to do that!”

No pressure then.

Allison released Kris and smirked at him as she stepped back. “Looks like he’s coming to claim his winnings.”

“What?” Kris said, hoping he didn’t sound as panicked as he felt.

Kris followed the direction Allison was looking. A man was striding purposefully towards the stage. No, towards Kris. Kris’ breath caught in his throat as he watched until the man was close enough for him to make out more than long legs and dark hair.

“Holy shit! That’s Adam Lambert!” Allison whispered.

From the smirk that spread across (Kris had to take a deep breath before he could even finish the _thought_ ) Adam Freaking Lambert’s face, Allison’s ‘whisper’ left a lot to be desired. Adam Lambert was _hot_ , there was no denying that, Kris thought as his eyes traveled the length of him, from his long (Kris swallowed hard), long legs to the brilliant blue of his eyes. Adam Lambert was also trouble, with a capital T.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Allison whispered it (actually whispered this time), but Kris could hear the laughter in her voice loud and clear. She patted Kris on the shoulder and left him standing there on the stage alone.

“That’s not actually much of a deterrent!” Kris hissed after her.

When Kris turned back to the front of the stage, Adam Lambert was standing right there, looking up at him and smiling.

“Hi,” Lambert said. “I’m Adam Lambert.” He held his hand up for Kris to take.

“I know,” Kris blurted, flushing when Lambert’s smile widened. “I mean, hi.” Kris slid his hand into Lambert’s. “Kris Allen.”

“I know,” Lambert said, corners of his lips twitching as Kris neck went even hotter. He closed his fingers around Kris’ hand and held on.

“Right,” Kris shook his head. “Of course you do.” He glanced over at the podium where Allison had taken over from Megan and was thanking everyone for their support.

“Oh, not from that,” Lambert said.

“From where?” Kris asked, thinking that it was unlikely for Adam Lambert to even know who Kris Allen was.

“Let me buy you a drink and I’ll tell you.”

Kris narrowed his eyes. Lambert grinned up at him.

The little angel on Kris’ shoulder warned him (in his Mama’s voice) to stay away from Adam Lambert. The devil on his other shoulder said (unsurprisingly, in Charles’ voice), what could it possibly hurt? It was a drink in a very public place. It wasn’t as if Adam Lambert was going to drag him off to a dark corner and ravage him.

Kris was forced to revise his opinion when he woke up the next morning feeling thoroughly ravaged.

~*~*~*~

Lambert gave Kris’ hands a little tug and he started to lose his balance. Kris was forced to make a quick decision; either jerk his hand away so he didn’t fall off the stage, or go with it.

“One drink,” Kris said firmly, and let himself be pulled off the stage.

Kris put his other hand out to brace himself on Lambert’s shoulder as he jumped. Lambert’s free hand caught Kris on his hip and guided him down. Kris was breathless (from the jump, he told himself) when he landed on his feet in front of Lambert and looked up (and up) at him. Kris shivered at the smile on Lambert’s face – part seductive, part predatory. Before he could think better of his decision and back out, Lambert slid his hand to the small of Kris’ back.

“Shall we?”

Lambert guided Kris through the banquet room to the private room where the bar had been set up. Kris noticed some of the expressions on the faces around him – a mix of pity, titillation, scandal, and jealousy – but most of his surrounding was lost in the heat of Lambert’s hand set at his lower back.

Kris caught a glimpse of Archie and Cook as Lambert led him to a table in a dark corner at the back of the room. Archie was speaking animatedly, his hands punctuating his words dangerously while Cook smiled indulgently at him. Kris thought that was a good sign. Kris lost sight of them when Adam pointed him to a chair.

“This table’s reserved,” Kris said as he slid into the seat.

“I know,” Lambert said, sprawling into the chair opposite Kris. He looked completely relaxed, but there was the sense of something lurking beneath his skin, like a panther waiting to pounce.

Kris dragged his eyes away from Lambert and his gaze fell on his fingers as he knocked the reserved sign over with an insouciant flick. Kris raised his eyebrows and gave Lambert a measured look.

“Pretty sure of yourself, weren’t you?”

“I like to be prepared,” Lambert said.

He was looking away from Kris as he summoned a server, but Kris felt the layers of meaning behind that statement. Kris ordered a beer, no glass; Lambert ordered an appletini. Kris smirked.

“I know,” Lambert sighed. “I’m living the cliche.”

Kris laughed for the first time since he’d arrived at the hotel, and it felt good. Instead of taking offense, Lambert looked pleased that he’d been the one to make Kris laugh.

“Much better,” Lambert said. “You were much too tense before.”

Kris waited until the server had placed their drinks on little paper napkins and walked away with a substantial tip before speaking. “Look, Mr. Lambert . . . .”

Lambert paused in the process of taking a sip of his green drink. “Oh my god, no!” he said, sounding horrified. “Adam, please. Mr. Lambert’s my dad.”

“Alright, Adam,” Kris said, biting back a smile at Adam’s reaction (and liking far too much the way it sounded on his tongue). “What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Adam said after taking that sip.

Kris’ dick said yes, his brain said no. Afraid of what might come out of his mouth, Kris merely shook his head.

Adam waved his hand. “I thought it would be nice to get all the awkwardness out of the way before our date. Now we won’t be complete strangers.”

That was a good idea, Kris had to admit, if only to himself. “No other ulterior motives?” Kris said, his mouth galloping ahead of his brain.

“Oh, sweetie,” Adam said, looking at Kris through lowered lashes. “There are always ulterior motives.”

It was so designed to get a reaction out of him that Kris had to laugh. (If other parts of his body reacted more viscerally, Kris was determined to ignore it.) Again Adam looked pleased with himself.

“Yeah, that won’t be awkward at all,” Kris drawled.

Adam beamed. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

Be careful, the angel whispered in Kris’ ear. Where’s the fun in that, said the devil, who sounded a lot like Allison this time. (Disregarding the fact that it was his own subconscious, Kris wished the devil would pick a voice and stick with it.) Kris ignored them both.

“Why don’t you play an instrument?” Kris asked. He’d always wondered.

Adam raised an eyebrow at the question. “Too impatient to learn how to play one,” he admitted. “Why _do_ you play an instrument?”

“I don’t know,” Kris said. “It was my dad’s; I just picked it up one summer and taught myself how to play. It’s like, the music comes out of all of me, not just my mouth.”

When Kris glanced up at Adam, his eyes were on Kris’ lips. Kris nervously licked them, and Adam’s eyes went dark.

“So,” Kris said, mind flailing for a safe topic of conversation. “How’s your appletini?”

“Delicious,” Adam said. “Sip?” he offered.

“No, thank you,” Kris said, wondering what it would be like to place his lips on the rim of the glass where Adam’s lips had been. Little did he know that he’d soon become familiar with the taste of appletini mixed with Adam from licking it off his tongue.

“Mmm,” Adam moaned after taking another sip and slowly licking the drink off his lips. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

Kris didn’t reach down and adjust himself in his jeans, but only because he knew that Adam would know what he was doing. He took a sip of his beer so his mouth wouldn’t say anything stupid.

“Why did you agree to be part of the bachelor auction?” Adam asked, taking them into safer territory.

“Allison,” Kris said. “She’s hard to say ‘no’ to.”

“I saw you perform once,” Adam said, out of the blue.

“You did not!” Kris found it difficult to believe that _Adam Lambert_ had attended one of his concerts.

“Did so! A friend of mine assured me I’d love it. And they were right.”

Kris was glad the room was dark when heat started creeping back up his neck from the offhand compliment. “Thanks, man,” he said, trying to sound much cooler than he felt.

“You made the lyrics really come alive,” Adam continued. “I’m a huge fan now.” He said the last with a smile, as if he knew that Kris was self-conscious about the topic. “Didn’t hurt that you looked really sexy up there on the stage,” he added.

Kris chuckled. “This is you not being awkward?”

“Just getting it all out of the way up front,” Adam said unrepentantly, blue eyes laughing at Kris over the rim of his glass.

“Laying it all on the table?” Kris couldn’t help grinning in the face of Adam’s gleefulness.

“Honestly _is_ the best policy.”

Kris snorted. “I don’t think your ego needs the stroking, so I’m admitting to nothing.”

Adam leaned an elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. “Does that mean there’s something to admit _to_?”

Kris thought about the eyeliner pencil at the bottom of the drawer in his bathroom. “My lips are sealed,” he said, drawing an invisible zipper across his lips.

“I have vays of making you talk,” Adam said, the faux threat losing much of its effectiveness in the face of the way his eyes danced as he spoke it.

“I’m scared,” Kris drawled. “No, really.” Before it could be put to the test, though, he changed the subject. “So, what kind of music do you like to listen to?”

“You mean besides yours?”

Kris refused to be baited. “Yes, besides mine.”

Once they started talking music any lingering awkwardness dissolved. Though Kris was surprised how little awkwardness there had been to begin with, once he’d gotten over the fact that _Adam Lambert_ had bid on him. That he’d be going on a date with _Adam Lambert_. So long as he didn’t let his silly crush or the ridiculous eyeliner episode slip out, he’d be fine.

They were debating which of Michael Jackson’s songs were his best when Adam leaned forward and stared into Kris’ eyes. “You have the most amazing eyes.”

Kris swallowed hard at the intensity of Adam’s gaze. “They’re just eyes.”

“I’d love to get you in eyeliner.”

Kris snorted. “Trust me, it’s an idea that sounds better in theory.”

It took Kris a few seconds to realize that a very loud silence had fallen between them. He glanced over at Adam, who was staring at Kris as if he’d suddenly become even more interesting. Which he wasn’t, not at all. Kris did a quick rewind to try and figure out why Adam was looking at Kris so strangely, as if he’d discovered something very new and exciting . . . . Oh. Crap. Kris glanced down at the beer in his hand. How much had he drank?

“Have you tried it?” Adam asked evenly, the tone of his voice very much at odds with the interest on his face.

Kris gave a very unconvincing laugh, even to his own ears. “No.”

Before Adam could question him further Allison approached their table. Kris could have kissed her for the perfect timing.

“Sorry to break this up, boys, but everyone’s ready to leave.”

Kris looked around, only then noticing that the bar had been closed up and all the other tables were empty.

“We’re so sorry,” Adam said before Kris could speak. “We lost track of time.”

And they had. Kris had felt so comfortable talking to Adam, as if he’d known him for years instead of hours, and the time had flown by.

“It’s no problem,” Allison said, giving Adam a flirty smile. She reached out and smacked Kris on the shoulder. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

It was Kris’ turn to apologize. “Adam, I’d like you to meet my good friend (when she’s not hitting me or making me participate in charity auctions), Allison Iraheta; Allison, this is Adam Lambert.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Adam said, taking Allison’s hand in his own.

“Oh, trust me, the pleasure is all mine.” Allison glanced over at Kris and dramatically fanned herself.

Kris rolled his eyes. “He can see you.”

“And he appreciates it,” Adam said, smiling. He leaned closer to Allison and spoke in a stage whisper. “Kris refused to tell me how wonderful I am.”

“Oh, you poor boy,” Allison said. She patted Adam’s shoulder (a lot more gently than she’d smacked Kris’). “Don’t worry, Kris is more of a doer than a talker.”

“Oh my god, Allison!” Kris said, then looked at his empty wrist. “Would you look at the time!”

Allison laughed. “You boys have a good evening. Nice meeting you, Adam.”

“And you,” Adam said, smiling at Kris as Allison moved away.

Behind Adam’s back Allison gave Kris two thumbs up, and then mimed placing a phone to her ear and mouthed, ‘Call me!’

Kris pressed his lips together so he wouldn’t start laughing and looked back at Adam.

“What?”

Thankfully Allison was gone by the time Adam looked over his shoulder.

“Nothing,” Kris said. “So, I guess we should . . . .”

“Yeah,” Adam said, sounding just as sorry for the evening to end as Kris felt.

They waved to the relieved wait staff as they left. Kris refused to admit, even to himself, how much he enjoyed it when Adam’s hand returned to his lower back as if it belonged there. Adam called his driver to meet them out front as they walked through the hotel.

“Tonight was nice,” Kris said when they stood on the sidewalk. “Thank you.”

Adam smiled as if Kris had just given him the best present ever. “I had fun, too.”

Kris ducked his head.

“How are you getting home?” Adam suddenly asked, not a hint of teasing seduction behind the query.

Kris looked around. “I don’t know. Alli sent cars to pick us all up, but . . . .” He wasn’t sure if they’d remained to drive them back home.

“Come on,” Adam said. “We’ll drop you.”

“I do know how to call a cab,” Kris said dryly.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Adam said. “Besides, this way I know where to pick you up for our date.”

Kris felt a frisson of arousal at the way Adam said ‘our date’. “Very practical,” he said, hoping Adam hadn’t noticed his reaction. It didn’t take him long to think about it. He’d been enjoying Adam’s company, and he’d wanted to spend more time with him. “Alright, but no hanky panky in the car.”

“Scout’s honor,” Adam said, holding up two fingers.

“Were you ever a boy scout?”

“I plead the fifth, now get in the car.”

Kris slid into the backseat of the Town Car ahead of Adam and noticed a bottle of champagne chilling in the back. “Champagne?”

“I told you,” Adam said as he settled into the seat. “I like to be prepared.”

Adam uncorked the bottle while Kris gave directions to the driver. He leaned back and took the glass Adam handed him.

Kris blamed everything that happened after that on the champagne.

~*~*~*

“You’re not even paying any attention to where we’re going,” Kris said as he watched Adam sip from the champagne glass.

“That’s what I have a driver for,” Adam said. “And GPS.”

That comment seemed funnier to Kris than it probably should have. He hid his face in his own glass. The bubbles tickled his nose. Adam laughed at him when he had to rub away the tickling sensation. Instead of embarrassing him, the laughter (even at his own expense) made Kris feel warm inside.

They picked up their conversation right where they’d left off, as if they hadn’t been interrupted, falling into it with an ease that surprised Kris. They were so involved in their discussion that Kris was startled when they pulled up to the gate. Kris got them through, and then fidgeted with the empty glass as the Town Car pulled up to his home.

“Well,” Adam said, sounding sad but resigned, “I guess this is . . . .”

“Would you like to come in?” Kris blurted. “For coffee?”

Adam looked as surprised at receiving the offer as Kris felt at having made it, but he recovered quickly enough to accept before Kris could second guess himself. “I love coffee.”

Kris gave a nervous laugh, pleased that Adam had accepted, and scared as heck. The driver opened the door and Adam, with one last look at Kris, slid out. He held his hand back for Kris, who accepted the assistance even though he didn’t require it. He couldn’t lie, he liked the feel of Adam’s hand holding his own.

“I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave,” Adam told his driver.

Kris blushed.

“Go get something to eat, if you want. But not McDonald’s. The smell lingers and I’ll be craving french fries for weeks. They go right to my hips,” Adam confided to Kris.

Kris couldn’t keep his eyes from dropping to Adam’s hips. He got flustered when Adam noticed Kris checking him out, and then even more flustered when he looked down and saw that he still held the empty champagne glass. Not knowing what else to do with it, Kris shoved it at the driver.

“Um, thanks, man,” Kris said when the driver took the glass from him without blinking an eye.

“You’re welcome, sir,” the driver said gravely.

Adam didn’t laugh – not out loud – but Kris could tell he wanted to. Instead he guided Kris away from the car and up his own front steps. Adam’s hand on his back was even more distracting now than it had been back at the hotel. Nevertheless, Kris got his keys out without dropping them and managed to unlock the door on his first try.

The small lamp sitting on the hall table had been left on, so Kris was greeted by a soft glow when he opened the door. He stepped into the house and held the door for Adam, who stood closer to Kris than he thought absolutely necessary when he passed him. Kris closed and locked the front door once Adam was inside, and then turned off the alarm.

“Wow!” Adam said.

Kris smiled to himself. Adam had found the music room, which was the one room in the house Kris’d had a hand in decorating. He turned around and felt his body respond to the expression of wonder on Adam’s face.

“That’s amazing,” Adam said, finally dragging his eyes back to Kris.

“Thanks,” Kris said. “I spend a lot of time in there.”

“I can see why!”

Kris took a deep breath. “So, coffee.”

He glanced down as he dropped his keys in the bowl that set at the base of the lamp, tearing his eyes away from Adam. This was such a bad idea. When he’d issued the invitation Kris was certain it had been for _actual_ coffee. He glanced up at Adam through the hair falling into his eyes. The expressions on Adam’s face circled through confusion at Kris’ unfinished thought, to uncertainty, to . . . .

“Seriously?” Adam said, sounding more awestruck than surprised.

Kris ducked his head, trying to find the words to deny it, the casual laugh as he ignored the tension that had sprung up between them and _lied through his teeth_. It was just as well that Kris couldn’t find the words, because Adam would have stolen them right out of his mouth with the kiss that stole Kris’ breath away, as well.

Adam touched the side of Kris’ face so tenderly, kissed him so gently, and then he slowly pulled away. Adam’s lips were wet, swollen, and he was breathing fast.

“I should go,” Adam said, but Kris could tell that he didn’t really want to.

Knew that it wouldn’t take much to convince him to change his mind. Kris didn’t know, exactly, how ‘one drink’ had brought them here, but he did know that he didn’t want it to end. Not yet. “No,” he said. “You should stay.”

Adam Lambert had the reputation of being a player, had the experience Kris lacked, and yet it was Kris who tugged on Adam’s hand, who didn’t take his eyes off Adam’s face as he led him down the hallway and past the kitchen, who only turned around when they reached the stairs so he didn’t trip and fall on his ass, who pulled Adam’s arms around him when Adam bent to nuzzle his neck, who tipped his head back to give Adam better access to his throat, who moaned when Adam tugged his shirt out of his waistband, who slid his fingers into Adam’s hair and captured his lips as Adam’s fingers slid over the bare skin of his belly.

“Adam,” Kris said, his voice cracking. “Please.”

“Are you sure?” Adam said.

Kris was sure. He didn’t know why this was it, but he’d never been so sure of anything in his life. He turned around in Adam’s arms, felt the proof of how much Adam wanted this against his belly.

“Adam,” Kris repeated. “ _Please_.”

Adam’s expression showed as much relief as arousal. He pulled Kris in close and kissed him again, fingers sliding over the bare skin of his lower back. Kris shivered at the touch, remembering how Adam’s hand had alighted there several times over the course of the evening, and how each time it had seemed as though it belonged there.

Kris grabbed on to Adam’s shoulders and held on as Adam took him apart with his kiss. He slid his hands down Adam’s chest and pushed at his jacket, his shirt, trying to get to the bare skin hidden beneath. Adam wanted the same thing. He pushed Kris’ shirt up and over his head without undoing any more of the buttons. In his hurry to be rid of the shirt, Kris got his wrists tangled in the sleeves. Adam’s thumbs teased his bared and vulnerable nipples until he freed himself from the shirt and flung it way. Kris shuddered as each stroke went straight to his dick and drove him just that little bit more wild.

“You now,” Kris said, pushing Adam’s jacket off his shoulders.

Adam seemed more interested in touching Kris, but each brush of his fingers only served to make Kris more eager to have Adam naked. Kris was finally forced to grab Adam’s wrists and hold his hands away from his body. Adam looked surprised, and a little bit turned on, by the move.

“No more touching until you’re naked,” Kris said firmly. Kinda firmly. The hungry expression in Adam’s eyes made Kris long to release his hands and give Adam free reign with the touching. Before Kris could give in to the temptation, Adam pulled his hands free and _finally_ started removing his clothes. It was Kris’ turn to reach out and touch as Adam bared skin sprinkled with freckles.

“You said no touching,” Adam reminded him, but his words held little conviction.

“This is different,” Kris said, sliding his hands over Adam’s back and leaning in to press a kiss to a freckle on his shoulder blade. This was Kris touching Adam.

Adam’s chuckle turned into a soft moan. “You’re distracting.”

“Tell me about it,” Kris said.

Adam’s slacks had gone loose around his waist, so Kris gave them a helpful push down past his hips. Adam shimmied out of them, his ass rubbing tantalizingly against Kris’ front as he did so. When he was naked Adam turned around and Kris let his eyes move over Adam’s body, taking in every gorgeous inch of him.

“You’re beautiful,” Kris said.

Adam looked embarrassed at the compliment, though Kris couldn’t believe, with all of his rumored conquests, that he didn’t already know it, hadn’t been told a million times.

“You’re still wearing pants,” Adam said.

Kris let him change the subject. “Someone should do something about that,” he said boldly.

Someone did.

~*~*~*~

Kris rose slowly to wakefulness. He tried to put off the inevitable by snuggling more deeply into his pillow. Kris felt the burn of well-used muscles when he moved, and the pleasant ache somewhere else. Also apparently well-used. Every part of his body froze, except for his eyelids, which shot open as the memories from the night before began to return. Adam.

Kris stared at the other side of the bed, which was empty. Unsurprising, but disappointing all the same. Kris was working up a big head of steam, beating up on himself for making poor decisions, when he spotted the paper lying on Adam’s pillow. The pillow Adam had used, Kris corrected. It was a note.

>   
>  _Had to meet friends for brunch. Let you sleep in because I figured you needed the rest after last night. :) Call you later._   
> 

Kris snorted at the teasing jab and tried not to feel too pleased at the thought of Adam calling him later. Of course Adam would be calling him. They still had a date to go on. It didn’t mean anything. Still, Kris dragged over the pillow and pressed it to his face, searching for a hint of Adam’s scent. It was there in the cologne he’d worn, the hair product, and something else that was just Adam. It hit Kris like a physical touch and set off a visceral response.

He remembered the way Adam had pressed him to the mattress and taken him apart. Adam had been voracious, and his hunger had called to something equally primal inside Kris. Even when his body no longer twinged with each movement he made, Kris would remember what they’d done, the way Adam had touched him as if he already knew exactly how to make Kris’ body sing for him.

Kris threw the pillow down on the bed. He was not going to do that, think about Adam Lambert like he was some lovesick puppy. So they’d had sex, so what? If the rumors could be believed, Adam Lambert’d had sex with half of Hollywood. And the other half wanted to have sex with him. Kris just got a jump on the line, that was all. It was one night, and it wasn’t going to be repeated. Kris was not a slut, and Adam had already earned a new notch for his belt so there was no need for him to continue pursuing him.

Kris crumpled the note in his hand as he sat up, and then tossed it towards the wastebasket. It bounced off the rim and skittered across the floor, coming to rest beside the jeans Adam had peeled off of him last night. Kris ignored the note and the jeans and went to take a shower.

It was after one when Kris, dressed, finally thought to check the time. He couldn’t believe he’d slept so late. Then again, Adam had kept him up way past his usual bedtime. He didn’t think he so much fell asleep as passed out when Adam was finally finished with him. Kris shook the thought away and snatched up the jeans. He dropped them into the laundry basket and shut the door on them, wishing he could just as easily close off his memories.

Kris bent down and picked up the note. Halfway through the motion of tossing it away he stopped. Kris smoothed out the crumpled paper and tucked the note into the drawer of the beside table, then shoved it closed with a little more force than necessary.

Kris made himself coffee and thought about fixing toast. His belly rumbled, telling him in no uncertain terms that it was famished and wanted more than toast. Kris scrambled up eggs and melted cheese into them. He carried a tray of eggs and toast, coffee and juice into the living room and sat in front of the television. He dug the remote out from between the couch cushions and flicked through the channels until he found a football game. Sadly not his Green Bay Packers, since they had a bye this week.

Kris didn’t check his phone until after he’d eaten and washed the dishes, leaving them to air dry in the drainer. He was sorry he’d bothered when he saw how many text messages he had, from Allison, his mother, and even Charles. Knowing he was going to regret it, Kris opened Charles’ text. Kris laughed and went a little bit warm when he read it.

_AL?!! Tell me u hit that!!!_

He’d hit that, alright, but Kris wasn’t sure that was something to be proud of, and he certainly wasn’t going to admit it to Charles, who would probably tweet it to the entire world. And his mother followed Charles, so, no.

Kris bit the bullet and called Allison because she was tenacious and might actually come over if Kris ignored her for too long.

“Kristopher!” Allison squealed into the phone, nearly deafening Kris. “Tell me _everything_!” she demanded.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Kris said. “He gave me a ride home, dropped me off at the front door, was a perfect gentleman.”

Allison snorted. “You almost had me, right up to the ‘perfect gentleman’ bit. Now spill!”

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Kris teased.

“So there was kissing?”

“My lips are sealed,” Kris said.

“Bet they weren’t last night,” Allison muttered.

“Alli!” Kris said, unable to bite back his laughter.

“Oh, fine,” Allison grumbled. “At least tell me what you thought of him.”

“I liked him,” Kris said, glad to be off of the other topic. “He was nice,” he added.

There was a moment of silence, then, “Oh, honey.”

“What?”

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for him.”

“I’m not falling for him,” Kris said, thinking, from my lips to god’s ear.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m not going to get hurt,” Kris said, wishing he could put more conviction into it. “It’s not like I actually believe Adam Lambert is interested in me.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Allison said. “He spent fifteen thousand dollars on you, trust me, he’s interested. I’m just afraid what he’s going to do to you, but if anyone can hold his interest, it’s you.”

“Thanks?” Kris said.

Kris had fallen asleep with his guitar on his lap when the phone rang and woke him. He’d put his cell on the charger, so he had to set the guitar aside and get up to answer it. He stared at the display with a frown – Sex God. He answered cautiously, wondering whether Charles had changed his name in Kris’ address book the last time he’d visited.

“Hello?”

“Kris,” Adam said.

Kris felt his knees go weak at the sound of Adam’s voice, the way he spoke Kris’ name, and blamed it on the fact that he’d been woken from his nap.

“Sex God?” he said dryly.

Adam laughed. “You suggested the name.”

“I did not!” Kris said, hoping he hadn’t.

“I think it was after the second time. Apparently you were pretty impressed.”

Kris blushed.

“Are you blushing?”

“No,” Kris lied.

“Oh baby, you are. That’s so precious.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“No, please don’t! I’ll be good, I promise.”

“Alright,” Kris grudgingly agreed, hiding his smile. “How was brunch?” he asked as he settled back onto the couch.

“Brunch was delicious. I ate too much, as usual. And I told all my friends about this really cute guy I met last night.”

Kris’ heart jumped in his chest. “You did not.”

“Did. And they all want to meet you. Actually,” Adam said thoughtfully, “some of them probably want to warn you away from me. I’m not going to let you meet them,” he said decisively.

Kris laughed. “Like you have to worry.”

Kris only realized what he’d said when Adam remained silent. Before he could speak, probably managing to shove his foot even more deeply into his mouth, Adam broke the silence.

“What are you doing tonight?”

“Nothing,” Kris said before he thought better of it.

“Good,” Adam said, sending a shiver down Kris’ spine. “I know this nice little café. They have live music on Sunday nights. Just this woman and an acoustic guitar. I think you’ll like it.”

It did sound like something Kris would enjoy, and the fact that Adam knew that about him already warmed Kris’ insides. And scared the crap out of him.

“Is that against the rules?” Kris asked, half teasing, half stalling for time.

“How am I going to be able to come up with an awesome date if I don’t get to know you better?”

Kris’ neck went hot at the memory of just how well Adam had gotten to know him last night. He managed to say, “That sounds . . . logical, actually.”

“I know,” Adam said, sounding really pleased with himself. “I spent hours coming up with it.”

Kris laughed so hard at the admission that his sides ached from it. “Alright, fine,” he said when he could speak again without dissolving into laughter. “But just to _talk_.”

“Of course,” Adam agreed readily. Almost too readily.

“Okay,” Kris said. “Tell me where.”

Kris wrote down the directions Adam gave him, trying to ignore the butterflies that were flitting around his belly. It was just to _talk_ , he reminded himself.

Kris didn’t know why he even bothered.

~*~*~*~

Adam’s house was much nicer than Kris’ – what he’d seen of it on the way to Adam’s bedroom, anyway. The bedroom was pretty nice, too. Done in gorgeous jewel tones that reminded Kris of Adam. He stroked the sapphire blue sheet he lay upon. The material was so soft – it reminded him of the time their neighbor’s cat had kittens when he’d been small. He’d never felt anything so soft before. And never again – until now.

“Would you like me to leave the two of you alone?” Adam drawled.

Kris gave Adam a sheepish smile, but couldn’t stop stroking. “We don’t mind if you join us.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Adam turned off the bathroom light and returned to the bed. “I’d hate to have to be jealous of my own bed linen. I love these sheets.”

Kris sighed. “I can see why. They’re so soft.”

Kris rolled to his side and stroked his hand down Adam’s arm. Adam’s skin was soft, too. Plus, he had freckles. So many, and Kris never got tired of mapping them, with his fingers, or his tongue. Kris leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to Adam’s shoulder. He couldn’t see in the dark, but if memory served, he’d just found a good half dozen of them with his kiss.

“How long have you had a freckle fetish?” Adam teased.

“About two days,” Kris said before his brain caught up with his mouth. He was thankful for the darkness when he felt the warmth in his cheeks at the inadvertent admission.

“I hope you know I plan on keeping you,” Adam said fondly.

Kris chuckled, but he couldn’t stop his heart from jumping in his chest at the idea of it.

“I should probably go,” Kris said, not really wanting to, which was exactly why he should. The more time he spent with Adam, the more time he _wanted_ to spend with Adam. And it had only been two days! It was a heartache just waiting to happen.

“And leave these sheets behind?” Adam said.

It was pretty pathetic, really, just how easily Kris was convinced to stay.

~*~

Adam drove Kris home the next morning for a quick shower (he was appalled that Kris used neither moisturizer nor hair gel), a change of clothes, and his guitar, and then dropped him at the studio.

“You don’t have to do this,” Kris told Adam about a dozen times.

At a dozen and one Adam silenced Kris with a kiss. “I know I don’t have to, I want to.”

It was nearly impossible to wipe the pleased smile off his face after that, though Kris did try to keep Adam from seeing it. Adam didn’t kiss Kris goodbye when he stopped to let Kris out at the side door, but the way his thumb stroked Kris’ palm seemed more special for the intimacy of it.

“Have a good day,” Adam said.

Kris had to swallow hard before he could speak. “You, too. And thanks. For last night. The café,” he corrected at the gleam in Adam’s eyes. “You were right, I did enjoy it.”

“I’m glad.”

They were silent for a moment after that. Kris knew he had to get into the studio, but he didn’t want to leave. He was being ridiculous.

“I have to go.”

“I know.” Adam didn’t let go of Kris’ hand.

Kris closed his fingers around Adam’s hand and squeezed. Kris opened the door and Adam only reluctantly relinquished his hand. He got his guitar out of the back seat, waved goodbye to Adam, and walked over to the door. Cale Mills and Chris Torres stood outside talking (probably waiting for Kris, who was late), each grasping a cup of coffee as if it was their lifeline.

“Who was that?” Cale asked Kris curiously, his eyes on Adam’s car as it pulled out of the parking lot.

“Adam Lambert,” Kris said.

Torres nearly choked on his coffee. “ _The_ Adam Lambert?”

Cale frowned. “What was he doing?”

“Giving me a ride. To the studio.” Kris slipped between them and pushed open the door, hoping neither of them questioned him on his guilty need to specify.

“Why?” Cale said, sounding suspicious.

“Because I didn’t have my car.”

“Where’s your car?”

In a parking garage, Kris thought. Out loud he said, “How was your weekend?”

“Not nearly as good as yours, apparently,” Torres said. Kris didn’t have to look to know he was grinning.

Kris couldn’t stop himself from blushing, so he did his best to ignore it. The first hour was lost to talk about the charity bachelor auction that had seemingly led to Adam Lambert giving Kris a ride to the studio that morning. Speculation ran rampant, and though Kris was red as a beet throughout the conversation, he neither confirmed nor denied anything.

Kris finally cut the banter short. “Don’t we have work to do?”

“Just be careful,” Cale said when the others had moved away. “He’s got a reputation.”

“I’m fully aware of his reputation,” Kris said. (And he was aware, he just didn’t like to think about it.) Kris smiled and patted Cale’s arm, knowing that Cale was just looking out for him.

They laid track after track, vocals and instruments, tried a dozen different things, but nothing seemed to work. It just wasn’t coming together, and Kris couldn’t figure out how to _make_ it come together. The bottom line was that he was distracted by thoughts of Adam. And not the sex, though that had been pretty spectacular.

The café last night had been . . . comfortable. The atmosphere, the seats, the music, but mostly, the company. They’d talked for hours, about everything under the sun, one topic leading to another without any awkward silences, and sometimes in no discernible pattern. Kris had been there, and he still found it difficult to believe that two people that appeared to be so different could find so much common ground. Kris had never connected quite like that with anyone before. It had felt . . . nice.

They called a break that afternoon more out of frustration than anything else. Kris wandered off so he could have a few minutes by himself, to try to get himself into a place where he could concentrate on the song. He touched his phone, then pulled his hand away. It was ridiculous how much he missed Adam after just a few hours. Kris tipped his head back and looked up at the sky, seeking answers or inspiration, determined to wait it out, let the urge to speak with Adam pass.

Kris gave up. Not that he’d tried awfully hard. He pulled out his phone and scrolled to ‘Sex God’ in his contacts. Smiling, Kris typed _u busy?_ and then hit send. About ten seconds after he turned up the volume his phone rang. He’d been so anxiously awaiting Adam’s reply that the sound of the ring startled him. He couldn’t help smiling when ‘Sex God’ appeared on the screen. Kris answered the call.

“Hey,” Kris said.

“Hey. I’m glad you called. Well, texted.”

“Am I interrupting?”

“No! What are you doing?”

“Taking a break. We’ve been working on a song. It’s really great, at least, I think it will be, but I’ve been kind of distracted.” Kris couldn’t believe he’d just admitted that! To Adam!

“Really?” Adam said. He sounded pleased to hear that, and a little bit uncertain, which Kris couldn’t understand at all. “Tell me about it.”

Adam’s voice made Kris go all weak and wobbly when he wasn’t even trying, but when he turned on the seduction it was even worse.

“Well,” Kris said, trying not to laugh. “I met these sheets this weekend. They were pretty awesome, and I can’t stop thinking about them.”

Kris allowed himself to crack up at Adam’s response.

“That’s it,” Adam finished his diatribe. “Those sheets are toast!”

Kris gasped. “No, not the sheets!”

“I’m going to rip them off the bed right this second,” Adam said.

“No, please,” Kris managed through his laughter.

“Well,” Adam said thoughtfully. “There might be a way you could save them.”

“How?” Kris said. “I’ll do anything!” he added melodramatically.

“We’ll discuss terms later,” Adam said.

It made Kris feel a little bit out of his element that he knew exactly what kind of smile Adam was wearing when he said that.

“Right now you have to get back to work.”

“What?”

“Aren’t they calling you?” Adam said.

Only then did Cale’s voice penetrate the bubble Kris had created around himself. He glanced over his shoulder and waved to let Cale know he’d seen him.

“Okay, yeah,” Kris said to Adam. “I do need to get going.”

Once again he was in the position of not wanting to say goodbye.

“Don’t think we won’t pick up this negotiation where we left off,” Adam teased.

“I look forward to it,” Kris said, torn between hoping that Adam heard the double layer of meaning, and hoping that he didn’t. Smiling, Kris disconnected the call before Adam could respond.

Kris silenced the ringer and tucked the phone into his back pocket. He hurried over to the door where Cale was waiting for him.

“Who was that?”

“Nobody,” Kris said. He’d had enough teasing for one day and he couldn’t explain to himself, much less Cale, his attraction to Adam Lambert despite knowing what a bad idea it was to get involved with him.

On the plus side the rest of the afternoon went a lot more smoothly and the song really started to come together once Kris had given in to his desire to hear Adam’s voice again.

~*~

Kris was sprawled on the couch flicking through the television channels for something to watch when his cell beeped. His breath caught when he saw that the text was from Adam.

_met brads new bf 2nite. what an ass_

_jealous?_ Kris typed back, feeling a little pang of it himself even as he teased Adam about it.

 _no_ Adam sent. Then _what r u wearing?_

Kris laughed. _srsly?_

_i need sthing to take my mind off that horrible little man_

_lounge pants_ Kris sent.

 _color?_ Adam immediately asked, then guessed _plaid_ before Kris could answer.

_1 plaid is not a color_

_2 i own stuff that isn’t plaid_

Kris glanced down at the blue and green plaid lounge pants he wore. He did own stuff that wasn’t plaid, he just didn’t happen to be wearing them right that instant, but Adam didn’t need to know that.

_white tank_

Kris’ phone rang. He grinned as he answered it. “Kris’ House of Plaid. How may we help you?”

Adam chuckled. “You already have, trust me. That nice mental image has erased everything that went before.”

“Happy to help,” Kris said, fighting back a blush.

Adam sighed. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Back in the studio,” Kris said. “You?”

“Lunch with Mom, and then I’m meeting Alisan to do some writing.”

Kris turned off the television to better concentrate on his conversation with Adam. They talked about the song Kris had been having trouble with, and Adam told Kris why he thought this guy was going to break Brad’s heart. Finally, when Kris was yawning more than he was talking, Adam suggested they say goodnight.

“I don’t supposed you’d send me a picture?”

Kris raised his eyebrows even though Adam couldn’t see it. “Of my very unsexy lounge pants?”

“And the guy that’s wearing them,” Adam said. “It would really make me feel better,” he added, trying to make himself sound very pathetic.

“Goodnight, Adam,” Kris said, and disconnected with a smile.

Kris thought about it for a moment, and then he took a photo of his feet. He sent the picture to Adam, who got back to him almost immediately.

_tease_

_told you they were plaid_

Laughing, Kris got ready for bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

~*~

They spoke on the phone or texted each other everyday. After lunch with his mother Adam sent

_mom gave me 3rd degree_

_she thinks u r cute_

And later that night

_song sounds amazing!!_

_that cld b the daiquiri talking_

_did i spell daiquiri right?_

The Adam that Kris was getting to know bore little resemblance to the Adam Lambert that made headlines for dumping boyfriends on a whim and seducing straight boys at their bachelor parties. He was easy to talk to (when Kris wasn’t getting all tongue-tied around him), he had interesting insights on everything from music to fashion (which Kris cared little about except for how animated Adam got when he talked about zippers and tucks, whatever they were) to spirituality, and he made Kris laugh.

Plus, he was nice to look at, and if he made Kris think too many naughty thoughts, well, no one but Kris had to know that.

~*~

Thursday afternoon Adam texted Kris.

_come over tonight_

_we can watch gossip girl_

Kris had only the vaguest idea what Gossip Girl was.

_sounds like an offer i can’t refuse?_

He didn’t have to wait long for Adam’s reply.

_i’ll throw in popcorn_

_ice cream_

_dinner_

Kris laughed when his phone beep beep beeped as the texts came in in quick succession. He sent back

_you had me @ ice cream_

Kris waited with a smile to see what Adam would say.

_thank god_

_I was running out of ideas_

Kris chuckled.

_u? o_O_

He blushed at Adam’s reply.

_well, ideas that aren’t x-rated_

Kris was fidgety for the rest of the afternoon. When he wasn’t thinking about seeing Adam again he was worried about getting lost on the way there. Finally Cale’s patience snapped.

“Dude, what is up with you?”

“Nothing,” Kris said. Belatedly he stilled the fingers he’d been tapping against his guitar.

“You’ve been all . . . weird since your texting session with Adam this afternoon,” Torres said.

“What makes you think it was Adam?” Kris said, trying to sound casual. He pretty much sucked at casual.

“The way you were smiling,” Andrew said.

“I wasn’t smiling,” Kris automatically denied. “And if I was, it was a perfectly normal smile.”

“Uh huh,” Ryland said.

They all stared at Kris until he broke. “Okay, fine, we’re getting together tonight, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“A date,” Cale said.

“Not a date,” Kris insisted. “I’m just going over to his place to watch . . . a movie.”

“Lie,” Ryland said.

“Yep,” Andrew agreed.

“Fine, Gossip Girl,” Kris muttered.

Torres placed a hand to his ear. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“Gossip Girl,” Kris repeated.

Cale snorted.

“What?”

“Is that a euphemism?” Ryland asked.

“It’s not a euphemism.” Kris didn’t think.

“He’s got it bad,” Torres said, shaking his head.

“Who?”

“You,” Cale said.

“I do not!” Kris totally did.

~*~

Adam had every season of Gossip Girl on DVD. And he was apparently going to make Kris watch every single episode because they started with the very first one. Adam inquired about Kris’ day while they waited for the food he’d ordered to arrive, and then they ate it in front of the television. (It felt almost like Kris’ house, except Adam made them use trays and coasters.) After dinner came bowls of ice cream, but Kris drew the line when Adam really did offer to make popcorn.

“Thank goodness!” Adam said. “My hips thank you for your restraint.”

“Your hips are fine,” Kris said, and then ducked his head and ignored the look Adam shot him.

After Adam put in the second disc he stretched out on the couch and pulled Kris down beside him. Adam, Kris was learning, was a snuggler, which was pretty awesome because Kris liked himself a good cuddle. On the other hand, Kris had been doing so well with keeping his hands to himself, but now it would be nearly impossible. He rested his head on Adam’s shoulder and laid his hand on Adam’s chest. He tried to pay attention to the show, but Adam’s hand was stroking his back and it was very distracting.

Kris hoped there wasn’t going to be a pop quiz later because he not only stopped paying attention, he forgot everything he’d already seen when Adam reached up and took hold of the hand lying on his chest. He played with Kris’ fingers, though his attention appeared to be on the television screen. Kris turned his face into Adam’s neck, which was a mistake because the scent of him was stronger there.

Kris turned his hand over so that he was holding Adam’s hand. He played with the rings on Adam’s fingers.

“I promised myself I’d be good tonight,” Adam said.

He was no longer watching the television, but staring at Kris’ fingers entangled with his own.

“Me, too,” Kris breathed.

Kris pushed himself up so he could reach Adam’s lips. Adam opened eagerly to Kris’ kiss as his hand urged Kris into the cradle of his thighs. Kris moaned into Adam’s mouth when their groins came into contact. Adam touched Kris’ face gently as they kissed, his other hand firm on Kris’ ass as their hips moved together.

“Adam,” Kris moaned as arousal built inside him. He couldn’t remember ever being so _hungry_ for someone.

Kris whined when Adam stopped them.

“Let’s take this upstairs.”

“I’m not sure I can make it upstairs,” Kris protested.

Adam’s, “I’ll carry you,” got Kris up faster than he’d thought he could move. Adam’s laughter drove him up the stairs. Adam stopped laughing when Kris greeted his sheets like a long lost lover. Kris stopped smirking when Adam threatened to tear up the sheets and use them to tie Kris’ wrists to the headboard so he couldn’t touch anything.

Kris swallowed hard. “Um . . . .”

“Oh, baby,” Adam said. “You just keep surprising me.”

Kris kept surprising himself.

~*~*~*~

_not even a hint?!!_

_no_

_how will i know what to wear_

Kris couldn’t believe he’d just asked that. From Adam’s prolonged silence, he couldn’t believe it either. Finally Adam sent

_casual_

_not too casual_

_outside, so layer_

Friday morning Adam had walked Kris to the door. In the middle of Kris’ awkward goodbye Adam had dragged him in for a kiss. ‘Goodbye’ had almost turned into ‘just one more time before I go’. The only thing that stopped Kris from giving in to the temptation to turn around and head back to Adam’s bedroom (or the living room) (or kitchen) was the fact that he was already running late and he still had to go home to shower and change his clothes because there was no way he was showing up at the studio in the same clothes he’d had on the day before.

Not that there wasn’t precedent for that (Kris had forgotten to do laundry or fallen asleep on Cale’s couch before), but today the guys wouldn’t believe that he hadn’t done his laundry even if Kris could sell the story. He’d rather catch flack for being late than be teased for spending the night with Adam. He just wasn’t ready to admit to that, even if the guys already suspected as much. They’d make those faces that meant Kris was going to get hurt (Cale), or ask him if Adam was really hung like a horse (Ryland). The answers were probably, and most definitely, but he wasn’t willing to discuss either topic.

Before Kris had left, Adam asked if he had plans for Sunday. Now that fall had rolled around Kris usually went to Cale’s house to watch football, but that was more a standing invitation than set in stone, so nothing he couldn’t change. He told Adam as much, and Adam asked him to save the day for their date, but refused to tell Kris where they were going. No matter how many times Kris asked.

Kris’ stomach still got all twisty when he thought about it. Their official date. Which meant that, technically, they never had to see each other again after Sunday. Not that anything they’d done so far had much to do with the bachelor auction, technically or otherwise. Still, Kris wondered if Adam would stop calling once he’d done his duty, so to speak. He hoped not. He really liked Adam, and he wanted what he thought might be happening between them to be real. Which made him kind of pathetic, Kris knew, but there you had it. Against his better judgment, Kris Allen was falling for Adam Lambert.

It had been nearly two days since they’d seen each other, and Kris was going through withdrawal. Friday he’d wanted to see Adam, but he’d been exhausted from long hours in the studio and too little sleep. That hadn’t kept them from texting late into the night. Adam had gone out for drinks with friends. Brad had brought his new boyfriend, which prompted several texts about ‘that man’. Kris might have felt jealous (which was inappropriate in any case, or so he tried to tell himself) if he hadn’t been so amused.

Saturday morning Adam had babysitting duty for his godson Riff. Kris found that idea amusing, too, until he received a text from Adam accompanied by a photo of Adam holding a baby that Kris presumed was Riff.

_hi kris, uncle adam says we shld meet_

Kris was touched by the sentiment as much as the photograph. He was also glad that he was already out and about with Cale when he received the text or he might have been tempted to rush over to Adam’s place. He’d had no idea that a picture of Adam holding a baby would be such a turn on. Since they were at the Farmer’s Market, Kris sent back a photograph of a pumpkin.

_i’d love to_

Adam sent a dozen pictures over the course of the morning; some of Riff being adorable and others of Adam making cute faces at him. Cale grabbed the phone out of Kris’ hand when he – in Cale’s words – made an embarrassingly gooey face.

“Oh my god!” Cale said. “He’s shamelessly using that baby to make you fall for him!”

Kris didn’t bother telling Cale that Adam wouldn’t do that, or that such a ploy wasn’t necessary because he was already falling pretty hard. He just grabbed his phone back and snapped a picture of Cale. He sent it to Adam with the message _cranky_.

Adam had dinner with his mother and brother Saturday night. He texted Kris when he got home to wonder when his brother was going back to New York. Kris laughed. Adam had been excited that he was coming to visit, but apparently a little bit of Neil went a long way. Kris used the opportunity to try and weasel some information out of Adam about their date. Predictably, Adam stood firm.

Kris called Adam. “I’m going to wear the blue and green plaid lounge pants with a green and red plaid shirt if you don’t tell me _something_.”

“Blackmail is beneath you, Kristopher,” Adam said, but he sounded just a little bit concerned that Kris really might pair the two.

Kris didn’t. When Adam arrived to pick him up, Kris was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. (If he’d dug through his drawer until he found one that fit tight across the chest, that wasn’t a crime, was it?) Over that he wore a hoodie, mostly unzipped, and a leather jacket. He’d even put on his good sneakers for the occasion, though it had been tempting to greet Adam wearing his old holey pair just to see the expression on his face. And he’d taken some trouble with his hair, though he didn’t think it looked any different than normal.

“Morning,” Adam said as he raked Kris with an appreciative gaze.

“Morning,” Kris said, feeling suddenly tongue-tied.

Adam looked pretty amazing. He also wore jeans and a leather jacket. Beneath the jacket a once-black t-shirt proclaimed ‘QUEEN’ across the front, and he wore boots on his feet.

“Is the hoodie too much?” Kris asked.

Adam shrugged. “If it is you can take it off and use it to pad your bony butt.”

“I don’t have a bony butt,” Kris retorted.

Adam swooped in for a kiss that made Kris forget what they’d even been talking about. He slid an arm around Adam’s neck and went up on his toes to return the kiss. Adam licked his lips when they separated, as if he wanted to get every last taste of Kris from them. It made Kris want to kiss him again.

“Mmm, morning,” Adam drawled, which made Kris blush. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Kris patted his pockets to make sure he had his wallet, cell phone, and keys. “Ready.”

Adam had the Town Car. The driver stood beside it, waiting patiently for them. He opened the back door when they emerged from the house. Kris slid inside followed by Adam.

“We need a driver for where we’re going?” Kris said, fishing for a hint.

Adam didn’t give him one. “Traffic’s going to be a bitch,” he said. “And I’d rather spend the time talking with you.”

Kris’ disappointment in not getting a hint was overshadowed by the warm, fuzzy feeling that Adam’s comment gave him. They did spend the drive talking. Kris kept waiting for them to run out of things to talk about, but it never happened. Adam told Kris a hilarious story about changing Riff’s diaper, and Kris shared the time his cousin’s baby had thrown up on him. They spoke of their families – telling tales about their brothers. Adam told Kris that his friend Danielle was dying to meet him, which gave Kris hope that today wasn’t the last time he’d see Adam. The nicest part was that Adam held his hand the entire way. There was nothing sexual about it, it just felt nice.

Only after they got off the highway did Kris begin to pay attention to their location. He peered out the window. In the distance he could see Qualcomm Stadium. It grew closer. “Are we headed to the stadium?”

Adam’s smile told Kris that he’d guessed right.

“Oh my god. Adam.” Kris almost couldn’t speak. “The Packers are in San Diego today to play the Chargers.”

“I know,” Adam said. “That’s why I couldn’t give you much notice. Sorry about that.”

“Sorry . . . ?”

Adam picked up a bag that Kris hadn’t been paying any attention to and handed it to him. Kris opened it and pulled out an Aaron Rogers jersey. He just stared at it, completely lost for words.

“I thought you might want to show your team spirit,” Adam said, smiling at Kris’ reaction.

Kris clutched the jersey to his chest. “But you hate football.”

“You like it,” Adam said. He shrugged. “And I like you.”

Kris had to duck his head so Adam didn’t see how much that simple statement affected him.

“Won’t you bored?”

“I’m never bored when I’m with you.”

Kris swallowed hard. “You have to not say things like that.” It was going to hurt when Adam stopped calling as it was, the last thing Kris needed was to let himself believe that this thing was more than what it was.

“Why?”

Instead of answering that loaded question and admitting how much he already liked Adam, Kris said, “I’ll teach you all about football. By the time we leave the stadium today you’ll be a convert.”

“Good luck with that,” Adam said dryly. “Just tell me who the tight end is.”

“Why?” Kris said before he could stop himself.

Adam grinned. “I just like the name.”

Kris rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help laughing.

Kris pulled the jersey on over his t-shirt and, after transferring phone and keys to his jeans pockets, left his hoodie and jacket in the car. They walked past the trailers selling souvenirs on their way to the box office so they could pick up the tickets Adam had ordered. Kris almost swallowed his tongue when he realized that Adam had gotten them tickets on the fifty yard line, about ten rows back.

“Adam!” Kris hissed. “These tickets must have cost you a fortune!”

Adam looked at Kris as if he was nuts. “Sweetie, _you_ cost me a fortune.”

Kris blushed at the reminder that Adam had paid fifteen thousand dollars to go on one date with him.

“Just say ‘thank you’.”

“Thank you,” Kris said sheepishly.

“You’re welcome.”

They stopped at the concession stand before finding their seats. Adam pondered the selections.

“Oh my gosh, everything is so _fattening_.”

“Stop it,” Kris said. “You are not fat, and besides, anything you eat today you’ll work off, so what’s the problem?”

Adam smirked. “Really?”

“I didn’t mean like that!” Kris said. But he didn’t say no.

“Alright, I’ll splurge. But I still can’t eat too much or I won’t be hungry for dinner. That goes for you, too!”

“We’re going to dinner, too?” Kris said. “Adam, that’s too much.”

“Then next time you can plan the date and buy,” Adam said easily. He was debating his lunch choices, so he didn’t see Kris’ reaction to that.

The football game was fun. Live games were always more exciting than televised games, and it was one of the few Packers’ games Kris had been to. Adam had gotten them seats behind the visiting team’s bench, so Kris was in heaven. He kept up a running commentary for Adam, who leaned into Kris so he could better hear him over the crowd.

Dinner was at a barbeque place Adam had heard was really good. “You’re from the south,” he told Kris. “Don’t all you southern boys like barbeque?”

Kris chuckled. “Stereotype much?”

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re not wrong,” Kris admitted.

They both ordered the chicken. The food was just as good as Adam had heard. Kris even thought the beans were the best he’d ever tasted, aside from his mama’s. After their long day Kris almost fell asleep on the trip back to LA. Adam drew him in close and Kris leaned against him. He fought to stay awake because he didn’t want to miss a moment of their date. Besides, he’d have been mortified if he snored or drooled on Adam.

They talked some more, their voices quiet in deference to the darkness blanketing them. It was nice, comfortable. Kris still found it difficult to reconcile the sweet Adam with the Adam who turned into a tiger at the drop of a hat. Not that Kris wanted to lose either part of him, because he kind of liked them both.

When they got back to LA they stopped for ice cream. Kris pulled on his hoodie and they sat on one of the picnic tables, enjoying the company as well as the crisp night air. Back in the car Adam instructed the driver to take them home, and then he pulled Kris close and kissed the taste of chocolate out of his mouth.

~*~*~*~

Monday morning Cale waved to Adam and watched the car pull out of the parking lot. “So, is this going to become a habit?” he asked Kris.

Kris was prepared to ignore the question. More importantly, ignore the implications of it. He might have if Cale had sounded the least bit disapproving. Kris turned and watched Adam’s car pull onto the street. He felt himself go warm when Adam looked back and saw him standing there. Adam beeped. Kris smiled and waved.

“I hope so,” Kris said softly, finally answering Cale’s question. He glanced at Cale’s face, not sure he wanted to see the expression there. But Cale didn’t look like he was judging Kris, or even worried about him, just interested. “I like him,” Kris added.

“Hmm,” Cale said.

“What? He’s nice.”

“Nice,” Cale repeated skeptically. “Is that why he drives you to work, because he’s ‘nice’?” Cale made finger quotes in Kris’ face.

“Well, it _is_ nice of him,” Kris said.

Cale laughed. “I’m sure he thinks it’s the least he can do in return for how ‘nice’ you are to him.”

Kris punched Cale in the arm. Not too hard, though, because they still had a lot of work to do on the new album. Cale needed his arm, and Kris needed his fingers.

“Ow!” Cale said, grabbing dramatically at his arm. “I might not be able to give you a ride home now.”

“Suck it up,” Kris said, and immediately wished he could take the words back. “Don’t,” he warned Cale when he opened his mouth to make some smart ass retort, most likely having to do with Kris and Adam and sucking.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Andrew said as he approached them.

Despite having to go home and change, Kris had actually been on time that morning. “Just waiting for you guys,” Kris said when he saw Torres wandering over. “You keep showing up late I’m going to have to dock your pay,” he teased.

“What got into him?” Andrew said, frowning at them both over the lid of his coffee cup. “He’s way too chipper for a Monday morning.”

Cale opened his mouth.

“Don’t,” Kris warned again.

Cale laughed. “His boyfriend dropped him off again this morning,” he told Andrew.

“Ah,” Andrew said. “I guess I know what got into him, then.”

“What, or who?” Torres added, grinning.

Kris slammed the door open and left them standing outside, laughing. As much as the teasing embarrassed him, Kris had to admit that he didn’t really mind it. He put down his guitar and pulled out his phone.

_the guys r being mean to me_

Adam’s reply came almost immediately.

_want me to come back and beat them up for you_

Kris smiled.

_no but it means a lot that you offered_

_any time baby_

Kris stared moonily at the screen. He didn’t usually like sappy nicknames, but he found that he kind of liked it when Adam called him baby.

“Who are you texting?” Torres peered over Kris’ shoulder. “The new boyfriend?”

Kris jumped and quickly typed _gotta go_. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Uh huh.”

Kris tucked his phone away and they got to work. He didn’t get to see Adam that night because he was at the studio late, and the next night Adam had plans with Danielle. He texted Kris Tuesday night after he got home _she told me to bring you next time_ , which made Kris’ belly twist with both nerves and excitement. Kris was glad that Adam wanted him to meet his friends, and yet it terrified him a little bit.

Wednesday morning Adam was waiting for Kris when he pulled into the studio parking lot. Kris made himself get his guitar out of his car and walk calmly over to Adam’s car, rather than rushing right over like some lovesick fool.

“What are you doing here?” Kris asked instead of the greeting he really wanted to give him, which would have included a lot less talking.

Adam hefted the two bags he’d gotten out of his car. “I brought breakfast.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did. I wanted to see you.”

They’d texted, but Kris agreed, it wasn’t the same. “I missed you, too.”

Adam’s smile was brilliant. Kris leaned against Adam and went up on his toes so he could kiss him. The beep of a horn when Cale drove past broke them apart, but Kris didn’t move back. He put his free hand on Adam’s waist and looked up at him.

“Do you have any idea how soppy you two look right now?” Cale said when he finally wandered over.

Kris didn’t care. He smiled up at Adam.

“I’m Cale,” Cale said.

“Oh, sorry,” Kris said. “Adam, this is my friend Cale Mills; Cale, Adam Lambert.”

“Hi,” Adam said. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’d shake, but . . . .” He indicated the bags.

“Adam brought breakfast.”

Cale gave the bags an approving glance. “It’s nice to finally meet you, too,” Cale said. “However, I wouldn’t be doing my best friend duties if I didn’t tell you not to hurt him . . . .”

“Oh, god, Cale,” Kris said.

“. . . so don’t hurt him, or I’ll bury your body where no one will ever find it.”

“That really isn’t . . . .” Kris began, but both Adam and Cale were ignoring him.

“Understood,” Adam said. “But I don’t have any intention of hurting him.”

Right about then Kris wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Not that he didn’t appreciate Cale’s concern, or Adam’s statement, but still, embarrassing. Adam and Cale stared at each other until they both apparently found what they were looking for. Cale nodded, and then snagged the bag out of Adam’s hand nearest him.

“Hey!” Kris said as he watched his breakfast disappear.

“You snooze, you lose!” Cale called back over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” Adam said. He held up the other bag. “He only got the drinks.”

Kris grinned, then allowed himself one more kiss before they followed Cale towards the studio. Adam switched hands so he could take Kris’ and they walked to the entrance together. The others were gathered around a table in the kitchen area, staring morosely at the bottles of juice Cale had unpacked onto the middle of the table.

Adam handed over the bag of breakfast sandwiches and hash browns, and they fell on them like a bunch of vultures. Kris snatched a hash brown before they were all gone. He inclined his head towards the door and then led Adam out of the room.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Torres called after them.

Kris closed the door firmly on their laughter. He led Adam to the lounge, set his guitar on one of the couches, and pulled Adam down next to him on another.

“How’ve you been?” Kris said, trying not to stare at Adam’s lips.

“Fine. You?”

“Good, thanks. Can we kiss now?”

“God, yes,” Adam said fervently.

They kissed until they needed to stop to breathe.

“You taste good,” Adam said.

Kris laughed. “You’re jonesing for a hash brown right now, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea,” Adam said. “But I’m jonesing for something else even more.”

“What would that be?” Kris asked.

They made out like teenagers until Ryland burst (or more likely, was shoved) into the room with his eyes firmly closed. “I’m not looking!” he said. “But the guys want to know if we’re going to do any work today or if you’re taking a personal day.”

Ryland blindly searched for the door and left. Kris pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, but couldn’t hold it in when Adam looked at him. They both giggled. Kris couldn’t remember when he’d last felt this young and carefree.

“I should probably get to work,” Kris said.

“Can I see you later?” Adam said.

Kris answered immediately. “Yes.”

He had no idea when that would be – things could go smoothly or the day could be long – but Kris knew that he wanted to see Adam at the end of it.

~*~

By lunchtime photos of Kris and Adam kissing were all over the Internet.

“Crap,” Kris said when he checked his phone and found about a dozen texts from Adam, Allison, Charles, and Meg, his PR representative. All of them had attachments. Kris opened the text from Adam first. It said _I’m so sorry!!!_ Attached were a copy of one of the photos and a link.

So much for keeping his private life private. He wasn’t that interesting, so the paps usually left him alone. One must have followed Adam that morning. Kris didn’t blame Adam; he shouldn’t have been stupid enough to kiss Adam in a public parking lot.

 _not your fault_ Kris sent back.

Cale peered over Kris’ shoulder as he clicked to the brief article that was accompanied by half a dozen photographs. It rehashed the charity bachelor auction and speculated on how long Adam Lambert’s new ‘fling’ would last.

There had been a couple of articles right after the auction, but Kris had been able to ignore them. Right now he wanted to strangle whomever had written this one for touching on his very own concern.

“You’re probably lucky there haven’t been any photos or gossip before now,” Cale said reasonably.

Kris didn’t feel lucky. Especially when his cell rang just then, the screen displaying ‘Mom and Dad’. “Crap,” Kris said again. He’d forgotten that his mother had him on Google alerts. Kris answered the phone. “Hey, Mama.”

Cale made a face that described Kris’ feelings exactly. He stepped out into the hallway for some privacy for the conversation he knew was coming.

“Hey, sweetie!” Kim Allen said. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing good. We’ve been working in the studio. The songs we’ve been working on sound really good.”

“I’m glad to hear that, dear. I can’t wait to hear them. I hope you’re not working _too_ hard, though.”

Kris winced. “No, of course not.”

“Good. You know what they say about all work and no play . . . .”

“Mama,” Kris interrupted her.

“Yes, dear?”

Kris knew that tone. It sounded innocent, but it was like one of those Venus Fly Trap things, just waiting to catch you. Kris bit the bullet.

“His name is Adam Lambert, Mama. He’s . . . nice.” Adam was so much more than that, but for a songwriter it was surprisingly difficult for Kris to put into words what Adam was. “I like him.”

“I’m glad, sweetie. We worry about you out there all alone. We just want you to be happy.”

“I know, Mama. I am happy.”

“Good. So when do we get to meet him?”

“Umm . . . .”

Kim laughed. “Oh, Kristopher, I can just imagine the expression on your face!”

“I’m glad I can amuse you, Mama,” Kris said dryly.

“Oh, honey,” Kim said. It sounded suspiciously like she was going to cry. “Maybe you can send us a picture of him. You know, one where we can see his face?”

“Yeah, Mama, I’ll do that,” Kris said, and disconnected to her laughing again.

Wanting to share the misery, Kris texted Adam

_my parents want 2 meet u_

_and they want a pic where they can c your face_

Kris felt marginally better after that. Until he checked his phone later that afternoon and found another text from Adam: _do u want to cancel 2nite?_

Kris almost couldn’t breathe. He called Adam. (He had to remember to change his name from ‘Sex God’ in Kris’ contact list before his parents saw it.)

“Do _you_ want to cancel?” Kris said before Adam even had a chance to say ‘hi’.

“No!” Adam said. “But I will if that’s what you want.”

“It’s not what I want,” Kris said.

“Oh. Okay. Well. That’s good,” Adam said.

Kris smiled, really smiled for the first time since he’d found out about the pictures. It helped, somehow, that Adam sounded just as unsure of himself as Kris felt.

“Okay, so,” Kris said. “Did you want to go out somewhere, or . . . .”

“I’d rather stay in,” Adam said quickly. “I mean, if that’s what you want.”

“Yeah,” Kris said, the butterflies in his belly taking flight. “That’s what I want.”

“Fuck,” Adam groaned. “What time can you get away?”

“I’ll be there in . . . .” Kris tried to calculate in his head how much longer they’d be. “Three hours.”

Adam groaned. “Okay, just hurry.”

“Make that two,” Kris said, changing his mind at the sound Adam made. “You know what, if I leave right now I can be there in an hour,” Kris said. “I’m going to stop home for a change of clothes, first.”

“You do that,” Adam said. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

Kris had to sit down before his knees gave out on him at the promise in Adam’s tone.

~*~*~*~

Friday night Kris rang Adam’s doorbell and forced himself to stand upright while he waited, rather than slump against the doorframe to help hold himself up. He’d spent the last couple of nights with Adam, which had been fun, but hadn’t allowed for getting much rest. And instead of going home to get some sleep tonight, he’d come over again. Falling in love was exhausting. Kris frowned when he heard what sounded like more than one pair of running footsteps on the other side of the door, and then what sounded like a scuffle.

Finally the door was pulled open by a young woman Kris had never met, though he recognized her from a picture Adam had shown him. Danielle had a huge grin on her face. Adam stood behind her, looking a tad put out. Whether because Danielle’d had the nerve to race him for the door, or because she’d beaten him there, Kris wasn’t sure. Even with a slight scowl, though, Adam looked damned good and Kris was happy to see him.

“So,” Danielle said, taking the time to give Kris an exaggerated once over. “You must be Kris.”

“Hi?” Kris said.

“Danielle,” Adam said, sounding just the tiniest bit whiney. “Let him in.”

Adam reached past Danielle for Kris and pulled him into the house. Danielle winked at him as he was propelled past her and into Adam’s arms.

“Hey,” Adam said into Kris’ hair.

“Hey back,” Kris said as he melted against Adam and let everything but that moment fade away.

Adam reluctantly loosened his hold on Kris and said, “This is my friend, Danielle.”

Kris kept one arm around Adam’s waist, but held out his other hand to Danielle. “I’m Kris, nice to meet you.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Danielle said. “The pleasure is all mine. I’ve been _dying_ to meet you. Adam can’t stop talking about you.”

Adam squawked. “Yes I can!”

Danielle gave him a look.

“Well,” Adam said, “it’s not like I talk about him every second of every day.”

“True,” Danielle acknowledged. “But it’s a close thing,” she told Kris.

Kris couldn’t help smiling in the face of her infectious good humor. Plus, he wasn’t the person being teased for once, which was a nice change. And as a bonus he got to hear things that made him believe that Adam might be as crazy about him as he was about Adam.

“Weren’t you just leaving?” Adam asked Danielle pointedly.

Danielle laughed. “Not a chance, lover boy. It’s been almost two weeks of ‘Kris this’ and ‘Kris that’, and now I’ve got the opportunity to meet the guy that turned your pretty little head. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

“I’ll pay you to leave,” Adam pleaded.

Danielle just laughed at the suggestion. “Come on, we’ll be more comfortable in the living room.” She turned and walked away like a woman that fully expected them to follow her.

“I’m so sorry,” Adam said.

Kris shrugged. He knew that Danielle was Adam’s best friend, and to be honest, he already liked her. “You met Cale and the other guys.”

“Yeah, but I brought breakfast to distract them. You have nothing with which to soothe the savage beast.”

“I heard that!” Danielle called from the living room.

Kris snorted. Adam’s eyes went wide and they both started giggling.

“Oh god,” Kris said, wiping his eyes. “I think I’ve reached the point of tired where everything is funny and I can’t stop laughing.”

Adam gave a final hiccup of laughter, and then sighed. “Alright, let’s go get this over with.”

Danielle, Kris decided, was hilarious. Though some of that might have been the exhaustion talking. And she wasn’t afraid to tell stories about Adam, which made Kris fall just a little bit in love with her. She gave Kris a look once, as if she knew he was hanging onto every word she spoke about Adam and was dying to hear more. Adam took it with good grace. Mostly. He wasn’t above retaliating by making Kris tell the skinny-dipping story or show Danielle the scar from having his appendix removed. He also told embarrassing stories about Danielle that had her covering her face at the memories and had Kris giggling.

“Oh, god, my sides,” Kris groaned after the last bout of laughter. “Don’t make me laugh anymore, I can’t take it.”

Kris let himself flop over and he rested his head on Adam’s lap.

“Sorry, baby,” Adam said. He patted Kris’ head. The pat turned into a pet, and then Adam stroked his fingers through Kris’ hair. The longer Adam played with his hair, the more relaxed Kris got.

Adam and Danielle spoke over him in low tones. About nothing much, yet Kris soaked up every detail – Adam’s favorite restaurant, what he was considering for his next tattoo, when Danielle would have time to touch up his roots.

“You know,” Danielle said quietly. “I think he’s even more adorable than you said.”

Kris snorted weakly. That (and Adam’s fingers carding through his hair) were the last things he remembered. When he woke the television was on low, the flickering light the only illumination in the room, Adam’s hand was still in his hair, and Danielle was gone.

Kris wriggled and made an ‘I don’t really want to wake up’ moan. He could tell when Adam realized he was waking up; the touch on his head changed, became more purposeful, as if while he’d been asleep Adam had been touching him just because he could.

“I feel asleep on you,” Kris said. Literally, he thought. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Adam said.

“I probably should have gone home,” Kris slurred, being half asleep making him more honest than he otherwise might have been. “But I wanted to see you.”

“I’m glad you came over.”

“You could’ve gone out . . . .”

“I’d rather be here with you.”

“Adam,” Kris started, then hesitated.

“Mmm?”

Kris finally worked up the courage to say, “I’d rather be here with you, too.”

Adam took Kris to bed, and to his surprise all they did was sleep. Adam gave him a sweet kiss when they lay tangled together beneath the covers, but stopped it before it could become anything more. Kris almost had the energy to protest, but was asleep before he could.

~*~

Kris woke up alone in Adam’s large bed. He stumbled to the bathroom to empty his bladder, then washed his hands and splashed his face. Kris pulled on his jeans and went looking for Adam. He found him in the kitchen praying to the coffee gods as he watched the machine do whatever it was doing. Adam had put on a pair of sweat pants that Kris was a little surprised to discover he owned. He turned around when Kris’ bare feet scuffed the floor.

Adam’s face lit up when he saw Kris. “Morning,” he said, his voice husky from having only recently woken up.

Kris went warm at the way Adam’s eyes moved over him. “Morning.”

“Coffee’s almost done,” Adam said, not taking his gaze off Kris’ bare torso, eyes lingering where his jeans hung low on his hips.

“Good.” Kris stepped up to Adam and touched his arm, the tips of his fingers playing connect the dots with Adam’s freckles.

“Hungry?” Adam said, trying to sound casual, though it came out a little bit strangled.

“Mmm.” Kris pressed his lips to an especially tempting batch of freckles.

Adam slid his fingers into Kris’ hair and tipped his head back. Kris whined in protest when his lips were torn away from Adam’s skin, then moaned his approval when Adam captured those lips with his own. Kris went up on his toes to return the kiss. Adam made a noise – hungry, eager – when Kris moved against him, so Kris tried to get even closer to him. Adam assisted in the effort by grabbing Kris’ ass to lift and pull him in until Kris’ toes barely touched the floor.

Kris lost most of his leverage with that move, so he curled one leg around Adam’s to regain some leverage and thrust against him. Adam’s hand slid down the back of Kris’ thigh. He lifted again, and this time Kris’ toes lost contact with the floor just before his ass made contact with the counter. As soon as he hit, Adam dragged him forward until they were once more rubbing madly against each other. Kris first made a sound of surprise, then pleasure, into the kiss that hadn’t been broken through the maneuver.

Kris didn’t know how he could be so hungry for Adam all the time. He’d dated other guys before, he knew how it felt to be in the first flush of a new relationship, but it had never manifested itself in such a . . . physical way before. Sure, they’d held hands, and made out in cars, and had sex, but Kris had never felt as if it was so _necessary_ before. As if he wouldn’t make it through one more day, one more _second_ , if Adam didn’t touch him.

“Adam,” Kris moaned. “Please.”

As if he could read Kris’ mind, Adam’s fingers went to his waistband. He made quick work of button and zip, but had a tougher time getting his jeans down over his hips with Kris’ ass planted firmly on the counter. Adam’s sweats were easier – Kris used his hands to get them over his hips, and then his own legs to work them down Adam’s. Adam stepped back and took Kris with him.

Kris laughed a little desperately as they both worked his jeans down while he hung in Adam’s arms. As soon as they were over his hips Adam pressed Kris’ back to the cold refrigerator and rutted against him. Kris whimpered in protest when he couldn’t move because his own legs were still trapped inside his jeans. He kicked his feet until he worked one foot free and could wrap his legs around Adam’s hips. Except for the magnets pressing into his back, it was perfect. Adam made a sound that told Kris that he liked it better this way, too.

Kris laughed when Adam pushed against him so hard that the refrigerator, as big as it was, rocked under the onslaught. He reached up and grabbed the top of the refrigerator door with one hand and clung to Adam with his other. He was so close. Adam was, too – he panted with the effort and sweat beaded at his hairline.

Adam breathed his name, the sound of it sending a shiver down Kris’ spine, and he lost it. Adam pressed his face to Kris’ neck and thrust against him harder, then followed him over.

It took Kris a few seconds to catch his breath, a few seconds more to unclench his fingers from the top of the refrigerator door. Adam staggered back a step and helped Kris get his feet on the floor. They leaned against each other until they felt confident their legs wouldn’t give out on them. They both chuckled weakly at the sound it made when they chanced a step back and their bellies peeled apart.

“I think we need a shower,” Adam said.

“Definitely,” Kris agreed.

“Oh, wait.”

“Really?” Kris said as Adam shuffled over to the coffee maker, his sweats still down around his knees.

Adam pointedly ignored Kris as he poured coffee into the waiting mug, stirred, and took his first sip. He sighed happily. Kris kicked his own jeans off and picked them up, then accepted the mug so he could take a sip, as well. He only just managed not to sigh as he breathed in the scent of it. Kris handed the mug back to Adam after he’d pulled up his sweat pants and turned to lead the way out of the kitchen. Their release was already starting to dry on his belly and itch, so he couldn’t wait to wash it off. Adam plucked a magnet off Kris’ back and dropped it on the counter.

~*~

Blueberry pancakes followed the shower, and were in turn followed by a much needed and well-deserved nap. They curled up under a blanket on the full size lounge on Adam’s patio and let the sun and fall air lull them to sleep. Adam woke Kris up with a hand on his dick, which he replaced with his mouth as soon as he had Kris’ full attention. After Kris reciprocated they hauled themselves into the kitchen to think about lunch.

Adam made them a salad – greens topped with chunks of grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, sunflower seeds, and almond slices, and finished off with a raspberry vinaigrette – which shouldn’t have tasted as good as it did, and promised that they’d order pizza for supper. They divided the paper between them – Kris went for the sports section, Adam the entertainment, and then they thumb wrestled for the comics. Kris won. Adam had longer thumbs, but Kris wasn’t above cheating.

In any case, neither of them read the comics because by the time they were done wrestling for it they were both naked and sweaty and covered in come. After a second shower they found a movie to watch and curled up on the couch together. (Adam was a superior cuddler, Kris decided.) By the time the movie ended Kris was starving. Adam called in their order, and then decided to have Kris for an appetizer.

Adam dropped his phone on the nearest chair. It was soon followed by his t-shirt. Kris giggled helplessly in anticipation as butterflies fluttered in his belly. Adam dropped his jeans and (having eschewed underwear after their second shower) stood naked before Kris. The giggles dried up and Kris had trouble breathing as he reached down to touch himself through his jeans.

Adam knelt on the couch over him and slipped his hand beneath the hem of Kris’ t-shirt. He slid his hand up until he could thumb one of Kris’ nipples. Kris moaned. He arched into the touch and pressed the heel of his hand against his dick. Adam pushed Kris’ t-shirt up so he could replace his thumb with his lips. Kris writhed against Adam’s mouth and eagerly raised his arms when Adam pushed the t-shirt over his head.

Kris’ hand found his dick again as Adam moved his attention to the other nipple. He dragged his other hand down the center of Adam’s chest and over his belly. Kris tangled his fingers in the bush of hair at the base of Adam’s cock and then circled his fingers around the length of it.

“Fuck, baby,” Adam groaned. He nipped Kris’ bottom lip. “Can’t get enough of you.”

Adam tore at Kris’ waistband as his lips left a wet trail from his collarbone to his bellybutton. “You want my mouth here?” Adam said, voice roughened with desire. He squeezed Kris for emphasis, as if he might not realize exactly where Adam was promising to put his lips.

“Yes,” Kris hissed. “Adam.”

Adam pressed his mouth to the denim covering Kris just as the doorbell rang. They both froze.

Kris whined. “Is it just me, or did that pizza come awfully fast?”

“It’s not just you,” Adam said. He gave Kris’ dick a farewell kiss and then scrambled up and reached for his clothes.

“I’ll get it,” Kris said sulkily.

Even pizza (clarification, even _really good_ pizza), wasn’t going to placate him for the fact that they’d gotten interrupted just when they were getting to the really good part. Kris snorted to himself. As if he and Adam hadn’t already had sex twice that day. On the plus side, at least he still had his jeans on. Kris pushed himself up off the couch, hitched up his jeans and fastened them. He patted his back pocket to make sure his wallet was still there.

Adam shivered when Kris trailed his fingers over the bare skin at his hip on his way past. “You owe me,” Kris said softly, and left Adam to think about that.

Kris had his wallet in his hand when he opened the door. “Hi,” he said, but the polite smile froze on his face when he realized that the woman standing there was not the pizza delivery person. “That . . . does not look like pizza,” Kris said.

“No, sorry,” the woman said, smiling at Kris as if she knew something he didn’t.

“Adam!” Kris called into the house.

“Do you need money?” Adam called back from the living room.

“No! Actually, it’s not the pizza.”

“Then what . . . ?” Adam appeared from the living rom still straightening his hair. “Mom!”

Kris gulped and glared at Adam, as if this was all his fault. “Mom?”

Kris looked at the woman again. Now that it had been brought to his attention, she did look an awful lot like Adam.

“Come in,” Adam said when he reached the door. Followed quickly by, “What are you doing here?” His voice only squeaked a little bit.

“I won’t stay long,” Leila Lambert assured her son as she stepped into the house and gave Adam a hug. “I can see you’re busy.”

“No, that’s, um, fine,” Adam said. Totally believably. “Mom, this is Kris. Kris Allen. Kris, my mother, Leila Lambert.”

Blushing, Kris took the hand she held out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, too, Kris,” Leila said, as if Adam had been hiding him away. “But please, call me Leila. And you, dear,” she said to Adam. “Your shirt’s on wrong side out.”

Adam glanced down guiltily. “I meant to wear it that way.”

Leila smiled. “Well, as long as you’re making a fashion statement.”

It reminded Kris that he wasn’t wearing a shirt at all. And that he’d greeted Leila at the door, Adam’s _mother_ , with what was left of his erection after they’d been startled by the doorbell. “I’ll just . . . .”

Kris escaped before either of them could say anything. He found his t-shirt under the coffee table and pulled it on over his head. Kris buried his face in his hands. Oh god, Adam’s mother knew that they’d been . . . . It took Kris a couple of minutes to gather his courage to rejoin them. When the floor didn’t open up and swallow him, and he couldn’t think of a good excuse not to, Kris, feet dragging, left the living room. He found Adam and his mother in the kitchen. Adam had poured out the old coffee and was making a fresh pot. Leila was speaking.

“. . . lunch with Judy.” At Adam’s look she said, “In her defense, we did have a late lunch, but you know how she loves to talk.”

Adam made a sound as if he did know.

“I thought we were going to be there through dinner. But I got the samples you wanted, so you owe me.”

Her words, reminiscent of Kris’ own to Adam just a few minutes ago, made Kris blush.

“Oooh!” Adam said as he dragged over one of the books Leila had carried in. “Hey, baby,” he said when he caught sight of Kris hovering in the doorway.

Now that he’d been seen, Kris couldn’t hide out in the background so he stepped into the kitchen.

“What do you think of these?” Adam said as he waggled his fingers for Kris to come closer.

“What are they?” Kris said as Adam drew him under his arm. He noticed that Adam had turned his t-shirt right side out, which made him flush again.

“Wallpaper samples,” Adam said excitedly as he flipped through the book.

“Ahh.”

“I’m thinking of redecorating the dining room.”

“You have a dining room?”

“Yes, Kristopher,” Adam said, most of his attention on the wallpaper samples, “I have a dining room. Oh, this one’s nice. What do you think?” he asked his mother.

“The stripes are nice,” she agreed. “And I like the gold accent.”

“What do you think?” Adam directed the question at Kris this time.

“Uhm, it’s nice?” Just then the coffee maker gurgled, signaling that it was finished brewing. “I’ll pour coffee!” Kris said, escaping to get out mugs.

“What can I do?” Adam asked his mother. “He wears _plaid_.”

“I’m standing right here,” Kris said.

“How awful,” Leila said dryly. “I’m sure you’ll manage to suffer through.”

Adam sighed dramatically. “I suppose.”

“Still standing right here.”

~*~*~*~

Sunday morning Kris stood in front of his closet wondering what he was going to wear. Normally Kris didn’t put this much thought into what he wore – if it passed the sniff test, he’d wear it – but normally Kris wasn’t attending a brunch with his . . . whatever Adam was to him, where he was going to meet Adam’s ex for the first time. Danielle was going to be there, as well, but she’d seen Kris fall asleep on Adam’s lap and she still thought he was adorable so he wasn’t worried about making a bad impression on her.

“What’s wrong?” Adam said from the doorway.

“Jes–ze, Adam!” Kris said, grabbing for his chest.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

Adam may not have meant to (and the jury was still out on that), but his smile told Kris that he didn’t mind that he had.

“What were you thinking about so hard?” Adam said as he pushed off the doorframe (where he’d apparently been leaning and spying on Kris) and stepped further into the room.

Kris turned back to stare dolefully into his closet. “I’m trying to figure out what to wear.”

“I like what you’re wearing now,” Adam said helpfully. Not.

Kris would have turned around to glare at Adam, but he couldn’t. Adam had stepped up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. Adam dropped a kiss on Kris’ bare shoulder and slipped his hand beneath the open waistband of the black jeans Kris had put on mainly because they were the only clean pair that didn’t have a rip in the knee (or worse, the ass).

“Adam,” Kris said. “We’re gonna be – oh, fuck – late.”

Kris could not deny that he liked Adam’s hand right where it was.

“Says the man who was just staring into his closet. You know, I figured you for someone who didn’t really care what he wore.”

“I don’t. Usually,” Kris said. “But this is different.”

“It’s just brunch,” Adam said.

Kris could barely concentrate on their conversation with the things Adam’s hand was doing to him. He dropped his head back on Adam’s shoulder. “Your friends are going to be there.”

“Just Danielle and Brad,” Adam said. “And you’ve already met Danielle.”

“Yeah, of course, you’re right,” Kris said too quickly.

Adam’s hand stopped doing what it was doing. Kris was torn between relief (because at least now he could think) and frustration.

“You’re nervous about meeting Brad?” Adam said incredulously.

“I didn’t say that.”

Adam turned Kris around. “That would be so cute.” And shook him. “If it wasn’t _completely ridiculous_.”

Kris hunched his shoulders. “I’m not sparkly.”

“What does that even . . . ?”

“I wear plaid.”

“Not everyone can wear plaid and look amazing in it.”

“It’s boring.”

“It’s not boring,” Adam said. “ _You_ are not boring. You are the furthest thing from boring.”

“I know that,” Kris muttered.

He was totally boring. Especially next to sparkly Brad.

“I don’t think you do,” Adam said, sounding surprised. “How can you not know how amazing you are?”

“It’s not like I think I’m a total loser,” Kris said, not wanting to sound like a total loser. He wasn’t exactly Adam’s level of rock star, but he was living his dream of making music, and he was in the process of putting together his third album. “I’m just . . . not sparkly.”

“Oh, baby,” Adam said. “You sparkle in all the ways that matter.”

Kris did not want to admit, even to himself, how good that made him feel. “Yeah, but . . . .”

“No buts,” Adam said firmly. “Do you know why I was determined to win you at the bachelor auction?”

“Because you knew how easy I was?” Kris said dryly.

Adam laughed. “Sweetie, if I’d known you were that easy, I’d have saved the fifteen thousand and just offered to buy you a drink.”

Kris smacked Adam in the arm even though he couldn’t hold back a huff of laughter. “Not funny, Lambert.”

“Kind of funny,” Adam said, grabbing both of Kris’ hands and holding them in his own. “I’ve wanted to meet you ever since I saw you perform. You were so sexy on stage, I don’t think you even realize. Plus you’re cute and you have a really pretty southern accent. But that’s not even the half of it.”

Kris blushed. He didn’t lack self-confidence – you couldn’t in this business – but he’d never met anyone like Adam Lambert before.

“You have an amazing talent and you’re one of the best people I know. And I’m not just talking about the benefit concerts you’ve organized. You’re supportive of new acts and you’re great with your fans. I bet you even save puppies.”

Kris snorted at Adam’s sweet but overblown impression of him. “I did save a kitten from a tree once.” He made a face. “It was more like a bush. She was hiding underneath it.”

“I knew it.” Adam feigned a swoon. “My hero.”

“Dork,” Kris said. “Listen, I appreciate the pep talk, I do . . . .”

“It wasn’t a pep talk. Not exactly. I just wanted you to know that I knew exactly what I was getting when I chose you. And I think you’re kind of perfect.”

Kris blushed and ducked his head. Self-confidence was one thing, having Adam tell him that he was ‘kind of perfect’ was quite another. “I think you’re kind of perfect, too. I’m not always that nice guy, though, you know? I mean, I broke Katy’s heart. I didn’t mean to, but I did. And I can be selfish, I get angry.”

“Which makes you human.”

Kris was silent for a moment. “Does that mean you don’t care that I don’t know anything about wallpaper samples and don’t have a pair of fluorescent pink hot pants hidden in my closet?”

Adam’s eyes glazed over. “Now there’s an image. Maybe a pair of leather pants, though?” he mused.

Kris could not even imagine how ridiculous he would look in leather pants. “I don’t think so.”

Adam gave him a speculative look. “We’ll see.” He pressed a kiss to Kris’ lips. “I like you just the way you are. It doesn’t matter if you only wore plaid, or that you don’t use gel . . . .” Adam sounded like he wanted to cry at that one. “. . . or use moisturizer or eyeliner. None of that matters to me. I just like _you_.”

Kris gave Adam a sheepish smile. “I get it. But you’ll help me pick out a shirt anyway, right?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Yes, Kristopher, I’ll help.”

Adam went through Kris’ closet, pushing shirts aside, pulling some out to examine before discarding them, and then finally deciding on one, a bluish-green button-down that Kris didn’t even remember owning. Adam held it up in front of Kris and eyed it critically before nodding. Adam wouldn’t let him wear a t-shirt under it and made him unbutton one extra button at the neck.

“Gorgeous,” Adam said, and dragged Kris in by the shirt for a kiss.

When Adam released him, he patted out the crease he’d made in the material. “But if you wanted to be more sparkly, I would mind if you let me dust you with edible body glitter,” he said, and then left Kris standing there with the beginnings of a full blown erection. “Come on, baby, we’re gonna be late.”

“I hate you,” Kris muttered as he rearranged himself in his jeans.

Adam’s dirty chuckle only made it more difficult for Kris to walk to the door.

~*~

Brunch turned out to be quite nice. Danielle was on her second mimosa by the time they got there. Brad and his boyfriend (who was actually named Steve, and not ‘that horrible little man’) were drinking Bloody Mary’s. Kris couldn’t tell if Brad was just that gregarious, or if he’d had more than two. Danielle stood and gave them both a hug (and a wink when she teased them about being late). Kris blushed, but he didn’t correct her – he’d rather have her think they were having sex than that he’d needed to be talked down from his freak out over meeting Brad.

Adam pressed a kiss to Brad’s cheek and nodded a more reserved greeting to Steve. Introductions were made, drinks were ordered (Kris followed Adam’s lead and got a mimosa, thinking that he could use some liquid courage for this), and the conversation they’d interrupted flowed once more, including them as if they’d been there all along. They talked about movies and music, Brad’s web series and clubbing, whether Adam had the culinary skills to replicate the omelet he’d ordered and the fact that Brad had broken (Kris didn’t ask and thankfully Brad didn’t tell) his favorite dildo.

Kris thought that last might have been said for his benefit, just to see how he’d react.

“Jesus, Brad,” Danielle said, shaking her head and taking another sip of her third (and last, after this she swore she was switching to water) mimosa.

Kris leaned forward, propped his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. Sadly, Brad had described the reasons the dildo was his favorite in excruciating detail. (Kris was afraid one of the women sitting at the next table was going to ask him for the name.) It had sounded scarily familiar to Kris. “Huge glossy black monstrosity with, like, a dozen speeds?” he asked.

Danielle spit out her mimosa, Adam’s fingers tightened on Kris’ thigh and then moved higher (Kris spread his legs to give Adam’s hand more room to wander), and Brad just stared at him in surprise before breaking into a grin.

“You own one?” Brad said gleefully.

He did, but Kris wasn’t about to tell Brad that. Nor was he going to admit that he’d never used it, and that it had been a gag gift from Cale when he’d come out. “That’s between me and the drawer of my night stand.”

Brad giggled and ordered another round. “What the hell,” Danielle said. “I’ll probably need it.” While they waited for the drinks to arrive, Brad studied Kris.

“I told him he’d like you,” Brad finally said.

“What?”

“Cute, unassuming southern boy that moves like a sex kitten on stage.”

Kris’ brain almost got stuck on ‘sex kitten’, but he managed to muddle through the entire statement. “Wait, you’re the one who told Adam he should see one of my concerts?”

Brad preened, apparently proud of his accomplishment. Luckily the drinks arrived before he could start gloating. Kris finished what was left in the bottom of his glass and traded it for a full one. If he followed the cause and effect back far enough, Brad was practically responsible for setting him and Adam up. Kris didn’t know what to think about that.

When they were back in the car Adam said, “So, what did you think?”

Kris thought he detected a hint of nerves beneath the question. He sunk down in the seat and tried not to groan. “I think I’m stuffed!”

“I know, right? I always eat too much there.” He waited until he pulled the car to a stop at a red light. “What about Brad?”

Kris sighed. He hated to admit it, but, “He was nice.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “You don’t sound happy about that.”

“I’m not,” Kris admitted. “I wanted him to be a jerk so I had a good reason for not liking him, instead of irrationally not liking him because he got there first and now he’s the stick by which you measure all others,” he said morosely.

There was a moment of silence, and then Adam burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he almost drove them onto the sidewalk.

Kris crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. “It’s not funny.”

“It really is,” Adam said between chortles.

“It’s not _that_ funny.”

Adam took some deep breaths and tried to calm down. “Brad is not my measuring stick, or whatever,” he said, managing to get it out with only a couple of laughs breaking it up. “Do you judge everyone you go out with against Katy?”

“Well, she’s a girl,” Kris said dryly, “so no.”

After a few more chuckles Adam was free of the giggles. “Thank you. I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.”

“Glad I could help,” Kris said, trying not to smile. “Oh, you were right,” he added. “Steve _is_ an ass.”

“I know, right?”

A couple of minutes later Adam broke the comfortable silence that had descended. “So, do you really own that dildo?”

Kris smirked.

Adam took Kris’ refusal to answer as a challenge. An hour later the dildo was no longer pristine and Kris wondered whether he’d ever be able to walk right again. From the things Adam had said while he’d fucked Kris with the dildo (“You like this, don’t you, baby?” and “Yeah, make that sound again.”), Kris had a feeling that there were a lot more sex toys in their future.

Sex was followed by more sex, and then a nap and a shower, so they were very late getting to Cale’s to watch the games. On the plus side Kris was starving by then, and they arrived just in time for pizza.

~*~*~*~

The next week was a blur of writing, laying tracks, and spending as much time with Adam as he could. The following week was Thanksgiving and Kris had tickets to fly home on the Monday before. As much as he wanted to see his family, he was already dreading the time away from Adam.

Adam stopped by the studio with lunch one afternoon (when he said Kris’ texts had started to sound cranky, which meant he hadn’t eaten), and Leila invited Adam and Kris over for dinner one evening. (Adam told her they’d only come over if she was ordering take-out. Kris would’ve thought that was mean if he hadn’t already heard all the horror stories about how bad her cooking was. Neil, who’d called one time when Kris was with Adam, confirmed them and suggested that Adam was holding back on telling Kris the really awful stories so as not to scar him for life.)

They did a movie night with Danielle (Kris didn’t fall asleep on Adam this time) and Alisan joined them for brunch (Steve was conspicuous by his absence, though no one mentioned it). They made it to Cale’s apartment before the final whistle of the one o’clock game, which Kris thought was a step in the right direction.

Adam pushed back a meeting on Monday so he could drive Kris and Cale to the airport. He kissed Kris goodbye in front of about a dozen cameras and Kris didn’t even care. They texted each other until Kris had to turn off his cell, and he checked his messages as soon as he was allowed to turn it back on. There were a dozen messages from Adam – half of them complaining about how boring his meeting was, several squeeing over the costumes Cassidy was creating for him with lots of !!! and photos attached, and one telling Kris how much  
Adam already missed him.

Kris let Cale take the wheel of their rental for the drive to Conway and he spent the entire trip returning Adam’s texts. Cale spent the entire drive laughing at him and calling him a sap. Kris stuck his tongue out at Cale and then ignored him.

From the moment they pulled into the driveway of Kris’ parent’s house Kris was caught up in the excitement of his first trip home since June. He didn’t realize how much he’d missed his parents until they took him in their arms and welcomed him home. The fact that his mother had a chicken in the oven and an apple pie cooling on the counter was just a bonus. They invited Cale to stay, but Kate was waiting for him.

Kris caught up with his father while they split wood for the fireplace, and then sat in the kitchen with his mother, who handed him a knife and a bowl of potatoes and carrots. He managed to go whole minutes without thinking of Adam. While his mother was busy over the sink Kris pulled out his phone to see if there were any more messages from Adam.

Kim Allen placed her hand over Kris’ before he could unlock the screen on his cell. “Tell me about him.”

Kris flushed hotly.

“You like him,” his mother observed.

“Yes,” Kris agreed. “Which is kind of ridiculous because we’ve only known each other for a few weeks.”

“Hmm.”

“What?”

Instead of answering Kris’ question, she asked one of her own. “What’s he like?”

Kris couldn’t hold back the smile, didn’t even try, when he thought of Adam. He couldn’t tell his mother how good Adam kissed, couldn’t tell her how gentle he was when they made love. “He’s nice,” Kris said.

“Nice, huh?”

“Really nice,” Kris amended. “Kind, generous, funny.”

“Cute?”

Kris huffed a surprised laugh. “I don’t know if ‘cute’ does Adam Lambert justice. He’s gorgeous. Even when he just wakes up and his hair’s all over the place and his eyeliner all smudged.” Kris paused long enough to realize what he’d just implied. “Not that I have any idea . . . .”

Kim laughed at his attempt at a retraction. “You’re a grown man, Kristopher, and I am under no illusion that you have never before had sex.”

“Oh, god, Mama,” Kris groaned, dropping his head and hiding his face in his hands. Hearing his mother even say the word ‘sex’ was bad enough, but having her speak it in relation with him was horrifying. “Can we never speak of this again?”

Kim laughed. Before she could embarrass him further Daniel arrived. Kris’ effusive greeting reflected just how grateful he was for the interruption. The rest of the evening was spent doing family stuff – dinner and clean-up followed by Kris kicking Daniel’s ass at Guitar Hero. (Kris’ victory was short-lived because Neil Allen, reigning Guitar Hero champ of the Allen clan, reclaimed his title to Daniel’s very vocal delight.)

Kris walked Daniel to the door when he was ready to leave. On his return Kris stopped outside the living room. He leaned against the doorframe and watched his parents sitting together on the couch watching the news. That very simple thing made him miss Adam all the more. Kris left them there and grabbed his jacket on the way to the back deck. He pulled his phone out before he sat and just held it for a few minutes. Instead of checking his messages, Kris called Adam. He wanted to hear Adam’s voice.

“How’s Arkansas?” Adam said in lieu of hello.

Kris smiled at the sound of Adam’s voice. “It’s missing some sparkle.”

“You want Brad to come visit?” Adam said with feigned surprise.

“No, you jerk. You,” Kris finished softly.

“I miss you, too, baby,” Adam said. “Tell me all about home.”

Kris told Adam that his mother had made him chicken for dinner (“Your favorite.”) with warm apple pie and ice cream for dessert (“I’m gaining weight just hearing this.”), and that they’d be having leftovers for the next couple of days – chicken pot pie, chicken salad, chicken and biscuits (“Does that mean you won’t be going to Chick-fil-A?” “Bite your tongue.”). He told Adam about beating Daniel at Guitar Hero, and being crushed in turn.

“My mom asked about you,” Kris said.

There was a flicker of hesitation, so infinitesimal you might not notice it, before Adam said, “What did you say?”

“I told her you only want me for my bod,” Kris told him.

The hesitation was longer this time. “You did not.”

“No,” Kris admitted, “but I may have implied, totally without meaning to, that we have more than high spirited conversation when we get together.”

Adam burst into laughter. Kris loved the sound of Adam’s laughter. Loved it more when it wasn’t directed at him.

“You told your mother we have sex?”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Adam?”

“Adam!”

“It’s really not that funny.”

With some effort Adam collected himself. “What did she say?”

“Something about not being under the impression that I’ve never had sex before. I’d really rather not think about it.”

Adam started to laugh again. Kris sighed. He put his feet up on the chair next to him and let his head fall back on the cushion. He closed his eyes and just listened to the sound of Adam’s laughter, and tried not to wish that he was there with him.

Kim came out to say goodnight while Kris was still talking to Adam. She bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head like she’d done when he was a little boy. “We’re going to bed now. Lock up?”

“I will.”

“And tell Adam I said ‘hi’,” she added with a smile before turning away.

“Mama says hi,” Kris told Adam.

“That’s so sweet! Tell her I said ‘hi’ back.”

“I will,” Kris promised.

~*~

Just as they had in LA when they couldn’t see each other, they spoke every night and texted in between. Kris got used to the teasing when he pulled out his phone to respond to Adam or to send him a photo of his meal at Chick-fil-A.

Kris spent time with Charles, who was worse than a girl when it came to wanting to know ‘all the details’. They went to WalMart and stopped at Starbucks, did the same things Kris had done when he’d lived in Conway, but it all felt so weird. Not because he hadn’t been home in so long, but because Adam wasn’t there beside him.

Over a lunch of chicken salad sandwiches and iced tea on Wednesday his mother brought up Adam again. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this happy before.”

Kris looked at her in surprise.

“I think your Adam is very good for you.”

Kris blushed. “He’s not my Adam,” he denied reflexively.

Kim raised her eyebrows. “If you say so, dear.”

Kris wanted Adam to be his, and he kind of thought Adam did, too, but, “We’ve never talked about it.”

“Not talking about it doesn’t make it not true,” she proclaimed with all the certainty of a mother.

They were in the middle of texting each other Friday night when Adam’s texts stopped suddenly. Kris texted him a couple more times and tried to call him, but Adam neither replied to his texts nor answered his call. He’d been at a club with some of his friends and Kris tried not to imagine Adam with someone else. It wasn’t easy. Instead of thinking about it, Kris went back and read every text he and Adam had exchanged since they’d met. There were a lot. When he finished it was after two in the morning and he still hadn’t heard back from Adam. Kris typed _call me_ and then tried to get some sleep.

Kris was still groggy when Adam called him the next morning. “Sorry about last night,” he said first thing.

It took Kris a moment to remember, and then he said, “What happened?”

Adam explained how Brad and Steve had gotten into an argument at the club. The argument had turned into a fight during which Brad had pulled Steve’s hair and scratched his face before very loudly breaking up with him. They’d been thrown out of the club and Adam and Danielle had spent the night consoling Brad. Adam sighed as he finished the tale. “And I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere today.”

“Is he alright?”

“He will be.”

“What started the fight? If I can ask.”

“Brad found out that Steve had been cheating on him.”

Kris’, “What an ass!” was heartfelt.

“I know,” Adam agreed. “Listen, I don’t know how much time I’ll have today, but call me tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

“Okay,” Kris said.

“Bye, baby, miss you,” Adam said, and then he was gone before Kris could say the same.

“What’s wrong with you?” his mother asked that afternoon.

“Adam hasn’t been texting,” Daniel said.

Kris kicked Daniel as hard as he could without dropping his game controller and screwing up his score.

“Why not?”

“A friend of his had a bad break up last night,” Kris told her.

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Yeah.”

Kris texted Adam later.

_still the super mario bros champ_

_miss u_

He didn’t expect a reply. Much. Which was good, because he didn’t get one.

~*~

After many hugs, Kris and Cale left early the next morning for the airport. If Cale noticed that Kris was not his usual chipper self, he didn’t mention it. Kris didn’t call Adam for a ride – instead they shared a cab to Kris’ house and then it took Cale home. Kris unpacked his bag and took a shower. Flying, being cooped up on a plane, always made him feel dirty. Or maybe it was the fact that he had to get up so early to make his flights.

The doorbell rang just as Kris was debating between ordering food or watching the football games (aka taking a nap in front of the television).

“Adam!” Kris said, surprised to see Adam glaring at him from the front step. “What, uh, what are you doing here?”

“I told you to call me,” Adam said as he pushed past Kris and into the hallway.

Kris closed the door carefully before turning around to face Adam. “I know. I thought you’d be busy.” The excuse sounded weak even to his own ears and didn’t lessen Adam’s glower in the slightest. “How’s Brad?”

“Brad is feeling a lot hurt, and a little bit pissed. Pissed will win out and he’ll be fine. Right now he’s crying on Cassidy’s shoulder. I was worried about you. First I thought your flight was delayed, but the later it got the more I started to worry, imagining all sorts of horrible scenarios. Imagine my relief,” Adam said, not sounding the least bit happy to be relieved, “when I called the airport and found out that your flight had been on time.”

“I’m sorry,” Kris said. “Adam, I didn’t even think about that. I didn’t mean to worry you, I swear.”

“You just thought I’d be too busy to come pick you up and you’d save me the trip?”

Kris pushed his hand through his hair. He’d never been confronted by an angry Adam before. Especially an Adam that was angry at him. “You’re right, I’m sorry, I was just . . . .”

“Jealous?” Adam suggested, not meanly, but not as if he thought Kris was the brightest bulb in the box.

“You do not have to tell me how selfish and insensitive that sounds,” Kris said. He already knew. He’d flogged himself with it the entire flight home. It hadn’t made any difference to his feelings, as irrational as they might be.

“And idiotic,” Adam said, finally sounding as if he might be thawing towards Kris.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Yes,” Adam said immediately. “But I came over here so I could yell at you and get it off my chest, and then you could make it up to me.”

“How . . . ?” Kris had to swallow and try again. “How could I ever make it up to you?” Even annoyed with him, Adam was the hottest thing Kris had ever seen.

“You could start by telling me how much you missed me . . . .”

“I did, Adam, I missed you every day.”

“. . . and then you could give me a kiss to show me . . . .”

Kris pounced. He was a little bit embarrassed about it later when Adam teased him, but right then all he could think about was tasting Adam again, feeling him under his hands.

“. . . how much you missed me . . . .”

Kris pulled on Adam’s hair and went to his toes. Adam’s hand slipped beneath Kris’ shirt. Somehow Kris ended up pinned against the door, Adam pressed against his front.

“. . . and then we’ll see where it goes from there.”

Where it went was the living room. They started for Kris’ bedroom, but the couch had been closer. Kris’ revised plans for the rest of the afternoon were sex with Adam, a nap, and then take-out.

~*~*~*~

After they’d cleared the air about Kris’ irrational jealousy over Brad, it felt like he and Adam grew even closer. They still texted and called each other every day and spent as much time together as they could, the same as they had before, but it _felt_ different. One day Adam brought lunch to the studio and stayed to listen to Kris lay some tracks. He’d been nervous and thrilled, knowing that Adam was there, but when he was done everyone agreed that it was the best performance of the song to-date.

The following Saturday Kris and Adam drove up the coast. They stopped for lunch and played footsie under the table. They hit the antique shops, Kris with an eye out for a Christmas gift for his mother and Adam just because he liked to look. They found a quaint B&B at which to spend the night and stood on the beach to watch the sun set. It was the best day Kris had ever spent with anyone.

They slept in Sunday morning (where ‘sleep in’ meant something other than actually sleeping) and took their time getting back to LA. Neither of them felt ready to step outside the little bubble they’d created around themselves, so Kris sent their regrets to Cale and they went back to Adam’s house. They weren’t hiding or hibernating, they just weren’t ready for their amazing weekend together to end yet.

Kris still wasn’t ready the next morning when Adam dropped him at the studio. Cale was already waiting. He greeted Kris and waved to Adam.

“Have a good weekend?” Cale asked as they both watched Adam pull out.

Kris sighed. “Yeah.”

Cale shook his head.

“What?”

“You’ve got it bad.”

Kris didn’t bother denying it.

~*~

Friday night after they made a mess out of Kris’ bed and were basking in the afterglow, Adam said, “That’ll have to get me through the next two days.”

Kris immediately whined in protest. His brain was still mostly offline, but the thought of two days of no sex with Adam broke through the haze.

“You remember I’ve got that thing this weekend, right?”

Kris didn’t, but he wasn’t going to admit that to Adam. He’d been talking about a spa weekend with Danielle, but Kris hadn’t realized that it was this weekend. He made a sound that he hoped Adam took as an affirmative.

When Kris woke up the next morning Adam was already gone, but he’d left a note on his pillow – a lopsided heart with their initials inside it. Kris stroked his thumb over the heart, then tucked the note into the drawer with the first crumpled note Adam had left on his pillow.

Kris showered and then called Cale. They hit the mall for some not-quite last minute Christmas shopping. Plus, Kris wanted to get a gift for Adam. He knew that Adam didn’t celebrate Christmas, but maybe a Hanukkah or solstice gift. Kris was exhausted by the time they got back to his place. He and Cale flopped onto the couch and watched Saturday night football while Kris’ feet recovered from all the walking they’d done that day.

It felt weird, waking up alone. Kris stretched out on his bed to take advantage of all the space, but it felt too big. He got up and took a shower, threw on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, and then went out to the kitchen to start the coffee maker. A glance at his overflowing laundry basket had reminded him that he needed to do laundry, but a man had to have his priorities. Coffee trumped clean clothes any day.

While the coffee was brewing Kris went out to pick up the paper he had delivered every morning (though he hadn’t had much time to read it lately). The coffee was still brewing when he returned to the kitchen so he dropped the paper on the island and headed back to his bedroom to get a jump on the laundry and sort it. The first load started, Kris returned to the kitchen where a much needed hit of caffeine awaited him.

Kris sat down at the island with his coffee and the paper. A small picture on the front page near the bottom caught his attention. Kris looked closer, sure he was mistaken, but he hadn’t been – it was Adam and Brad. Kris’ hands shook as he turned to the story, which included a larger version of the same photo and a headline that read, **Out With the New, In With the Old?**

Kris knew better than to jump to conclusions, knew that the paps blew things way out of proportion, but the picture couldn’t have been faked and seeing Adam and Brad together on the red carpet made Kris’ blood run cold. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, after reunion sex, after their nap and take-out, Adam had said, “Oh, and Brad made me promise to go to this thing with him since he doesn’t have a date anymore and he refused to go alone. He looked so pathetic I had to agree.”

Kris hadn’t thought much about it at the time, but even if he had he wouldn’t have equated the ‘thing’ Adam mentioned so casually with the awards ceremony at which Brad’s web series had been nominated for an award. Especially since Adam hadn’t said, and since he had thought that Adam was with Danielle this weekend.

It was painful, but merely circumstantial, Kris tried to convince himself. What he couldn’t ignore, what hurt the most and made Kris’ stomach turn over with nausea, was the way Adam was touching Brad, his hand on Brad’s neck. It was an intimate gesture, and the way Adam sometimes touched Kris, and it always meant _I want to take you home right now and fuck you_.

Kris ran for the bathroom. He felt worse instead of better after he’d thrown up, the bile burning his throat. He rinsed out his mouth and brushed his teeth, but it didn’t make the ache in his chest go away. Kris threw out his cup of coffee, and then the whole pot. He couldn’t stomach it right now.

His phone rang. Kris knew before he looked at the screen that it was Adam. He hesitated, then ignored the call and turned off his phone. He couldn’t talk to Adam right now. Kris shoved his feet into sneakers, grabbed a jacket, and headed for Cale’s apartment. He nearly ran over a pap who asked him if he thought Adam had been seeing Brad on the side the entire time he and Adam had been seeing each other. Purely accidentally, of course.

“Wanna talk about it?” Cale said when he saw Kris’ face.

“No.”

And that was that. Cale got him a beer even though it wasn’t yet noon and they settled in to watch football.

~*~

Kris stayed at Cale’s until the final whistle of the Sunday night game. He’d been miserable and poor company, but he hadn’t been able to work up the energy to give a crap. The hallway was dark when Kris entered his house because he’d forgotten to turn on the lamp before he left, but there was light coming from the living room. Kris had a very bad feeling about that and was regretting having given Adam the gate and alarm codes and told him where he kept his spare key. Kris dropped his keys in the bowl beside the unlit lamp and then took off his jacket and hung it up. When he could no longer put it off Kris headed for the living room.

Adam sat on the couch. He stood when he saw Kris and dropped the paper he’d been staring at onto the coffee table. The paper Kris had left lying on the island in the kitchen.

“What do you want, Adam?” Kris said, trying to sound like someone who hadn’t just had his heart stomped on.

“You weren’t answering my calls.”

“That’s what you stopped by to tell me?”

“No, I . . . ,” Adam began huffily, then stopped and took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you. Look, I’m sorry about _that_.” He shoved his hand angrily at the paper. “The photograph, that stupid headline, I had no idea they’d do that.”

“Because it would have been better if I hadn’t found out?”

“I told you about it,” Adam said. “I told you that I promised to go to this thing with Brad.”

“Yes, you did,” Kris agreed. “You just failed to mention what the ‘thing’ was.”

Adam looked the slightest bit guilty at that, which ate at Kris’ gut. “You were being all weird about Brad, I just didn’t want you to overreact or get the wrong idea.”

“No chance of that happening,” Kris said dryly.

“That photo . . . .”

“It was a double surprise,” Kris interrupted. “Since I thought you were away at a spa weekend with Danielle.”

Adam looked confused. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Because you’ve been talking about it! Certainly a lot more than you’ve been talking about this ‘thing’ you were going to with Brad.”

Adam sighed and just kind of deflated. “You’re right. I should have told you. I just didn’t want you to get upset.”

Kris huffed a humorless laugh. “Thanks for that.”

Adam ran a hand through hair that Kris only now noticed has been the object of a lot of hand running. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t completely honest with you. And I’m sorry I hurt you. I won’t hide anything like this again, or make decisions about what you can handle. Kris.”

Adam reached for him, and Kris wanted so badly to reach back. He believed Adam, and he knew that Adam had cause to think he couldn’t handle the truth (or would handle it badly), but he couldn’t stop thinking about the way Adam had been touching Brad.

“You were touching him,” Kris said.

Adam looked confused. He let his hand drop.

“On the neck,” Kris said, even though his tongue felt too thick for his mouth. “I thought you only touched me that way.”

Adam opened the paper to the page with the photo on the first try, as if he’d been staring at it the whole time he’d been waiting for Kris to come home. He looked at the picture, really looked at it. The way his fingers were curled around Brad’s neck, his thumb brushing just below Brad’s ear. Kris saw the moment when Adam understood.

He closed the paper and let it fall onto the coffee table, then turned to look at Kris. He looked almost defeated, which scared the crap out of Kris.

“You’re right,” Adam said, and Kris’ heart seized in his chest. “I don’t know what to say to make you believe me. Brad was nervous, he needed to be grounded, but it didn’t mean anything besides that, it didn’t mean what it means when I touch you like that. I touch a lot of people, but it never means the same thing it means when I touch you.”

Kris believed him, partly because wanted to and partly because Adam sounded so sincere and looked nearly as miserable as Kris felt. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Adam looked like he was going to cry. “For what?”

“For not answering your calls. I should’ve let you explain. I should’ve _made_ you explain instead of hiding from it.”

“Does that mean you forgive me?” Adam said, sounding hopeful.

“On one condition,” Kris said. “That you forgive me, too. And that we never do this again.”

“Done,” Adam said quickly.

“Today really sucked,” Kris said.

“It really did,” Adam agreed. “I don’t want to go through this again.”

“Me neither.”

“It was traumatic,” Adam said.

Kris nodded.

“I could use a hug.”

Kris was in Adam’s arms before he finished speaking. They’d worked through the misunderstanding, but Kris didn’t start to relax until Adam’s arms closed around him. They’d just made it past the first major bump in their relationship. Probably not the last, but one of the hardest for having been the first. The misery of the day faded away as they stood there together, just holding each other.

Because it was Adam, and Kris’ body seemed to be hardwired to respond to him, the comfort he took from Adam’s embrace soon turned to something entirely different.

“I’ve heard about this thing,” Kris said into Adam’s shoulder.

“What thing?” Adam asked.

“I think it’s called ‘make-up sex’?” Kris made it a question.

Adam tipped Kris’ head back and gently kissed him, and then he hoisted a protesting Kris over his shoulder and carried him upstairs, where Kris stopped protesting almost immediately.

Make-up sex, as it turned out, was pretty awesome.

~*~*~*~

Over the next few days Kris went round and round with his label over which songs should go on the album. Because he had so much material to work with, he continued recording and producing even as they tried to finalize the track list. The song Kris had recorded the day Adam was in the studio had moved to the top of his list and Kris was determined to get it on the album. He was also set on making it his first single off the new album, no matter what he had to do to make that happen.

Kris asked Adam to listen to the songs he’d been working on and did his best not to let on which were his favorites before Adam could give Kris his honest opinion. Adam knew music, and he knew the music industry and what resonated with listeners, and Kris trusted his judgment. Still, it was the worst form of torture, sitting there and pretending to read The Hunger Games (which Adam assured him was a ‘can’t put it down compelling read’) while Adam listened to the songs. It could have been the best book in the word, but Kris wouldn’t know because it was impossible for him to concentrate when he was distracted from the story every single time Adam scribbled a note on his pad of paper or shifted in his seat.

Kris was re-reading a paragraph for the third time when Adam finally removed his headphones and set aside Kris’ iPod. “Are you done?” It had felt like forever, but Kris was certain that real time had not been moving as quickly as Kris time and that there hadn’t been nearly enough time for Adam to listen to each of the songs.

“No,” Adam said. “I need to take a break.”

“That bad?” Kris said, trying for light and utterly failing.

“That good,” Adam said as he pushed himself out of the chair and stalked over to where Kris sat on the couch.

Kris swallowed hard. “Oh.”

Adam easily withdrew the book from Kris’ nerveless fingers and carelessly dropped it onto the coffee table.

“Don’t even think about throwing me over your shoulder,” Kris warned as Adam took Kris’ hands and pulled him to his feet.

Adam smirked. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He slid one hand into Kris’ hair and the other down the front of him. “I don’t think I could wait as long as it took to get upstairs.”

Kris’ breath caught when Adam‘s hand slid down over his belly. He licked his bottom lip, and then Adam bent his head and traced his tongue over the same path. “Adam,” Kris breathed.

Adam slipped his tongue into Kris’ mouth as he slid his hand beneath the waistband of his jeans. Adam’s name was the last coherent word Kris was able to form for quite a while.

~*~

“What are you doing for Christmas?” Kris said.

It was late. The candles Adam had lit earlier had burnt down. Kris lay with his head on Adam’s shoulder, his fingers teasing through the ginger curls on his chest.

“Not for Christmas-Christmas,” Kris amended, “but for those days.”

“I don’t have any firm plans,” Adam said drowsily.

“I’ll be going back to Arkansas,” Kris said. “I made the plans before . . . .”

Adam placed his hand over Kris’. “You should spend the holidays with your family.”

Kris didn’t tell Adam that he was Kris’ family now, too, because that was too sappy. Instead he said, “Mama likes you.”

“Your mother is awesome, and the feeling’s mutual.”

Adam had been at Kris’ house one day when Kim called. Kris had been in the shower so Adam had answered his cell when he saw who was calling. They’d still been chatting away merrily when Kris had gotten out of the shower. Kris hadn’t known whether to be embarrassed because his mother knew they’d clearly spent the night together, or pleased that she and Adam had been getting along so well.

(He’d been a lot less pleased when he found out that Adam had promised to send her a current picture of himself in return for baby pictures of Kris. His mother had been much too quick to agree to that arrangement, in Kris’ estimation.)

“I know,” Kris said wryly.

Adam had printed off and framed one of the photos Kim had sent him. Luckily he kept it in the bedroom so that no one else could see it. (The better to compare little Kris’ bare ‘tushy’ with adult Kris’, according to Adam.) Since then Adam had not been afraid to text Kim about the weirdest things, like to ask her if plaid was a southern thing or just a Kris thing. She in turn took to texting Adam to make sure Kris ate. (They both agreed that he got cranky if he didn’t.) It was like having two mothers. Except he was sleeping with Adam. Kris tried not to think about it too much.

Kris didn’t have to look to know that Adam was wearing a self-satisfied smile. He shook his head. “They’d like to meet you.” Adam’s hand stilled on his. “My parents,” Kris added, as if Adam might not have been able to figure out who Kris was talking about.

“Are you asking me to go home with you?”

“Not if you don’t want to,” Kris said. “If you think I’m moving too fast, or something.”

“I don’t think you’re moving too fast,” Adam assured Kris. “And I’d love to meet your parents. But are you sure they won’t mind? I mean, talking on the phone is one thing, having me invade their home is quite another.”

“You won’t be invading their home,” Kris said. “You’d be doing them a favor, actually, because this way I won’t be checking my phone every five minutes to see if you’ve texted me. Besides, Mama told me that if you didn’t have other plans you were welcome to come. I think she was trying to be subtle.”

“Aww, your mother’s so sweet! I’d love to, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you,” Kris said. He thought he’d be more relaxed after having asked, but now the reality of Adam meeting his parents, meeting _Daniel_ , was hitting home. “Just promise me you won’t hold anything they do or say against me.”

Adam chuckled. “I won’t. You’ve spoken to Neil and eaten my mother’s cooking; your family will be a cakewalk.”

“You just keep thinking that,” Kris said. “Oh! And no more baby pictures!”

Adam dragged Kris up into a kiss. It wasn’t until much later that Kris realized Adam hadn’t agreed to his last request.

~*~

Allison called to remind Kris about her annual New Year’s Eve bash and tell him that she expected him to bring Adam so she could get to know him. She let it drop that Archie would be bringing David Cook. Kris remembered the shocked expression on Archie’s face after David Cook had won a date with him, and the smile he’d worn just minutes later when Kris had spotted them in the bar area.

Kris tuned back into their conversation in time to hear Alli wondering out loud if she should get into the matchmaking business. Kris had enough care for his own skin not to laugh. When she later suggested that Kris and Adam name their first child after her Kris was sorry he’d held back.

They went to Danielle’s the Saturday before Christmas weekend for a Happy Hanukkah-Saturnalia-Solstice-Christmas-Kwanzaa Party. She’d even had banners made up. Kris got to meet more of Adam’s circle of friends (all of whom claimed to have ‘heard so much about’ him), including Riff (and his parents, Lee and Scarlett). Riff threw himself into Adam’s arms, and if Kris hadn’t already been a goner for Adam before that moment, that would’ve clinched it.

Brad showed up with Cassidy, and Adam looked gobsmacked when Kris said, “I thought they were just friends.”

“They are,” Adam said as he shifted Riff to his other arm, but he sounded unsure.

Tommy Joe Ratliff showed up with his girlfriend Vanessa, and he and Kris talked guitars.

“Anything between the two of you I should know about?” Kris said when Tommy and Van wandered off.

“What? No! He’s completely straight, why . . . ?”

Kris grinned. He should probably feel bad about teasing Adam, but he still hadn’t recovered from Adam’s betrayal with the baby pictures.

“You a-a–annoying person,” Adam changed the name he’d been planning on calling Kris in deference to Riff.

Kris just patted Adam’s ass, and then blushed when he remembered they weren’t alone. Mainly because Brad whistled from across the room and told Kris to keep his hands off Adam’s ass when there was a baby nearby. Brad did not defer to Riff’s young ears.

Just when it appeared that Riff was going to require a diaper change Adam relinquished him into Alisan’s waiting arms. They were already six steps away when she got the first whiff of Riff’s diaper. She made dire threats as Kris and Adam giggled and ducked through the crowd. They refilled their drinks and mingled. Adam introduced Kris to everyone at the party until names and faces and relationships to Adam got all tangled up in Kris’ mind.

When Adam wasn’t shaking hands or hugging his friends he kept a possessive hand on Kris’ lower back. Kris often found himself pushing back into the touch, finding comfort in knowing that Adam was there, would always be there. At one point they got separated.

Brad eyed Kris’ outfit critically. “You actually look good. Who dressed you?”

Adam had threatened to burn all of Kris’ plaid shirts, Kris had refused to buy a pair of leather pants, not even in holiday colors. They’d compromised on a pair of gray slacks and a plum colored silk shirt that cost more than Kris’ favorite guitar had.

“Well, Adam helped,” Kris said. He looked Brad over. “What about you? I thought you were going to wear the day-glo orange pants with the fluorescent pink shirt.”

Brad had toned his outfit down – leopard print pants that left very little to the imagination, a black tank that showed off his collarbones, and a brown jacket.

“The pants are pink, the shirt orange,” Brad said primly.

“I stand corrected,” Kris said.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Cassidy said when he returned with fresh drinks for the three of them.

Kris touched Brad’s arm. “We’re just complimenting each other’s outfit.”

Cassidy raised his eyebrows. “Brad was talking about something other than himself?”

“Ha ha,” Brad said.

Kris caught sight of Adam across the room as he returned from the kitchen with Danielle, a tray of fresh hors d’oeuvres in his hands, and he let the sound of Brad and Cass’ banter fade away. Over Adam’s head Kris glimpsed one of the many sprigs of fake mistletoe that Danielle had hung. Kris decided then to take advantage of their auspicious placement. Maybe even snag one to take home.

Kris liked watching Adam in his element, smiling with his friends, laughing at something they said, unaware of Kris watching him. He didn’t mind the times their eyes met, either, when he could feel Adam’s gaze on him like a physical brush of his hand. At one point Kris had been handed a sleeping Riff so his parents could get their coats on. Adam appeared and dropped a kiss on Kris’ temple, and then Riff’s.

“Do you have any idea how sexy it is to see a man holding a baby?”

Kris smiled and looked up at Adam through his lashes. “I have some idea, yeah.”

Adam gave Kris a pleased look. As soon as the Cherry’s reclaimed Riff and took their leave, Kris maneuvered Adam beneath the nearest sprig of mistletoe and kissed him. The fact that it was in full sight of all the partygoers didn’t faze him in the slightest. Nor did it keep Adam from grabbing Kris’ ass and pulling him closer so he could deepen the kiss.

Not even Brad’s, “I didn’t realize it was that kind of a party,” could pull them apart.

~*~

Kris’ nerves were strung taut as the 21st drew near. “I just want it to be perfect,” Kris said by way of apologizing to Cale for snapping at him.

“Just accept the fact that the evening will not go off without a hitch and you’ll be much happier,” Cale said.

“Thanks,” Kris said dryly.

“The food’ll burn,” Torres supplied.

“The flowers wilt,” was Ryland’s addition.

“The candles won’t stay lit.” Andrew.

“And he’ll still love it,” Cale said. “Because it’s you.”

Kris got all choked up, even if they did think he was being ridiculous. “Thanks, guys.”

Kris was making dinner for Adam, but he’d chosen something simple – a chicken stir-fry that would only take about fifteen minutes to cook and a salad because he knew that Adam liked salads. Not that Kris couldn’t do with more greens in his diet. Still, he cut their day short so he could go home and do last minute picking up, flower arranging, and candle setting out. He even set the table so he could get that out of the way. (Kris was thankful to his mother’s advice when he first moved in that he even _had_ a dining room table.)

Lastly Kris set a small jewelers box on the sideboard – out of sight (unless you were Kris and couldn’t forget it was there), but close to hand. Once he admitted to himself that he’d done as much as he could in preparation, Kris went to take a shower. His outfit was already laid out on the bed he’d actually made that morning. No plaid in sight. And he even used hair gel.

Kris paced until the doorbell rang. Kris opened the door – relieved and excited and scared to death to find Adam standing on the other side. He held a wine bottle. Kris smacked himself in the head.

“I forgot the wine!”

“That’s what you have me for,” Adam said.

Kris smiled. “Come on in.”

Adam ducked his head for a kiss before stepping past Kris. “I feel underdressed.”

Kris glanced down at the slacks the salesclerk had called charcoal, which he’d paired with a greyish-blue button-down shirt he’d bought because the color had matched that of Adam’s eyes when he’d just woken up. (Sleepy Adam was one of Kris’ favorite things.) Adam wore a pair of black jeans with a grey sweater that looked soft enough to touch.

“No, you look amazing,” Kris said.

“You look pretty amazing, too.”

They stared sappily at each other for a few seconds before they both broke into giggles. It cleared the air and took some of the tension out of Kris’ shoulders. Kris took the wine so Adam could take off his jacket, then led the way to the kitchen. Kris turned over responsibility for the wine to Adam while he started the stir-fry. It was nice, domestic, cooking in the kitchen with Adam sitting at the island sipping wine.

When the stir-fry got to the point where it just needed to simmer Kris got out the salad he’d made earlier and set it, along with the dressing, on the counter. When he reached behind himself to untie the apron he’d worn to keep the oil from spattering his new shirt, Adam spoke up.

“Wait.”

“What?” Kris looked around, wondering if he’d forgotten something.

“Come here.”

Kris walked over to Adam, confusion lessening at the look in Adam’s eyes. Kris was ready, eager, when Adam drew him in for a kiss.

“Just following instructions,” Adam said when he released Kris.

Kris glanced down at the ‘Kiss The Cook’ apron Cale had given him that afternoon as a gag gift. He’d have to find a way to thank him.

~*~

After dinner they argued over who was going to do the dishes.

“You’re a _guest_.”

“You did the cooking.”

It was finally decided that Adam would wash and Kris dry, since Adam didn’t yet know where everything went. (Kris actually had a dishwasher, but with just himself it would take a week to fill it, so he never used it.) Kris started the coffee while Adam filled the sink.

Kris would never have thought of doing dishes as fun, but doing them with Adam made it seem that way. When the dishes were all put away Adam poured the coffee while Kris got out the dessert.

“Oh my god,” Adam breathed. “Did you make that?”

Kris looked down at the mini-mocha cheesecake and for a second considered taking credit, but admitted that he’d bought it. “I was under enough stress worrying about the stir-fry coming out alright.”

“You don’t need to stress out for me,” Adam said. “It was delicious, by the way, in case I didn’t already make myself clear.”

“You did, but thank you,” Kris said. “I just wanted it to be perfect.”

“That’s easy,” Adam said. “As long as you’re here it’s perfect.”

Kris chuckled at how eerily similar that sentiment was to what Cale had said earlier. “Me, too,” he said. “With you. For me. As long as you’re here.”

Adam held a straight face for as long as he could, which wasn’t very long, before giving in to the laughter. “I’m glad we got that cleared up.”

“Shut up,” Kris said.

The cheesecake was delicious, but Kris almost couldn’t swallow it when he thought about the small box sitting behind him on the sideboard. When Adam pushed back his empty plate Kris reached for the box and handed it to Adam before he lost his nerve.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Adam said.

Kris gave him a look that said ‘I know I didn’t have to’. “I wanted to. I mean, it’s not for Christmas, but I thought, today’s the solstice.”

Adam smiled at Kris. He hesitated for only a second before ripping off the bow and tearing into the wrapping paper, but as soon as the box was free he slowed down again. Either he wanted to savor this part, or he was as nervous as Kris was. Adam lifted the lid and set it aside, then removed the cotton. He lifted out the necklace, a thick silver chain that held a silver medallion and a guitar pick.

“It’s beautiful,” Adam said. He examined the medallion closely, then stroked the guitar pick between his fingers. “Is this . . . ?”

The medallion bore the symbol of Aquarius, the water bearer, because Kris knew that Adam was really into that astrology sh–stuff. The guitar pick was one of Kris’ own.

“ _You Got A Way_ is going to be the first single,” Kris said. “That’s the pick I used the day we recorded it. The day you were there. I just . . . .”

Even though he was a songwriter, Kris had a difficult time putting his feelings into words when it came to just telling them to Adam. He held his breath as Adam turned the pick over and read the inscription on the back. It was simple, but Kris hoped that Adam understood everything he meant by it – _Love, K_.

“I love it,” Adam said, sounding like he might cry. “Will you . . . ?”

Kris took the necklace when Adam held it out. He stepped behind Adam and fastened the chain around his neck, running his fingers over it before moving way. Before he could return to his own chair Adam pulled Kris down onto his lap.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Kris said.

The kiss they shared was sweet. Now that Kris had given Adam the gift he was able to relax into the kiss and forget about everything but Adam. They kissed until Kris’ lips felt hot and swollen, and then they kissed some more. Kris was just thinking about leaving their dirty dishes on the table and taking this to his bedroom when Adam pulled back.

“Wait,” Adam said. “I have something for you, too.”

“A—,” Kris started to protest, not even knowing whether he was protesting the gift or the interruption. He pressed his lips together and tried not to squirm as Adam withdrew something from his pocket. Adam placed a small felt bag into Kris’ hand.

Kris opened the bag and shook out the contents into his hand. It was a bracelet, similar to the string bracelet he already wore, except this one had small blue stones separated by tinier beads.

“Turquoise,” Adam said. “One of your birthstones, traditionally, and my starstone.” He shrugged. “I liked the idea that we shared a stone, but if you don’t like it . . . .” He trailed off. “And I hoped you wouldn’t mind another bracelet.”

Kris kissed Adam. “I love it. Here, would you . . . ?”

Adam took the bracelet and put it on Kris’ wrist. Kris laughed. Adam looked at him quizzically.

“Is it weird that we both sort of went in the same direction with our gifts?”

“I think it’s just further proof that we’re meant to be together,” Adam said, and then looked embarrassed, and then defiant.

Kris didn’t know whether to laugh or kiss him. Kissing was much more fun, though, so it wasn’t really that difficult a decision. The kiss ended only when they both needed to breathe. After he’d filled his lungs, Kris spoke.

“Adam, you know what I want?”

“More cheesecake?” Adam teased.

“Only if you’re going to eat it off of me,” Kris muttered, pinching Adam’s side.

Adam stared at Kris for a second, then he said, “You have the best ideas!”

“What? Adam! No!”

Later Kris was forced to admit that it had been a pretty inspired idea, even if he hadn’t meant it that way at the time.

After sex (and more sex) followed by clean-up, they fell asleep wrapped around each other. (Kris barely had time to note that he hadn’t even lit the candles he’d set out before he was dragged under.) Adam shifted on the bed, waking Kris, and he immediately reached for him. “Don’t go,” Kris mumbled.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” Adam said as he settled back down beside Kris.

“Mmm, good.” Kris rubbed his wrist against Adam’s chest, feeling the bracelet roll against his skin. He tangled his fingers in the chain Adam wore around his neck. “Me neither.”

Adam patted Kris’ ass and pulled up a blanket to cover them both. “That’s good, baby.”

It was, in fact, better than good.

The End


End file.
